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Science 6 October 1995:
Vol. 270. no. 5233, pp. 77 - 80
DOI: 10.1126/science.270.5233.77
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Reports

Coherent Laser Control of the Product Distribution Obtained in the Photoexcitation of HI

Langchi Zhu,  Valeria Kleiman,  Xiaonong Li,  Shao Ping Lu (1),  Karen Trentelman,  Robert J. Gordon (2) (3)

Active control of the distribution of products of a chemical reaction was demonstrated by using a method based on the principle of quantum mechanical interference. Hydrogen iodide (HI) molecules were simultaneously excited above their ionization threshold by two competing pathways. These paths were absorption of three ultraviolet photons of frequency (1) and one vacuum ultraviolet photon of frequency (3) = 3(1). The HI and I signals were modulated as the phase between the lasers was varied, with the HI signal lagging by 150° ± 15°. A mechanism consisting of autoionization and predissociation is proposed.


Department of Chemistry (m/c 111), University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607-7061, USA.
(1) Present address: Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
(2) Present address: Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
(3) To whom correspondence should be addressed.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Whither the Future of Controlling Quantum Phenomena?.
H. Rabitz, R. de Vivie-Riedle, M. Motzkus, and K. Kompa (2000)
Science 288, 824-828
   Abstract »    Full Text »
Laser Control of Chemical Reactions.
R. N. Zare (1998)
Science 279, 1875-1879
   Abstract »    Full Text »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)