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Aligning and Trapping Molecules with Light
Author(s) -
Kador Lothar
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition in english
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 0570-0833
DOI - 10.1002/anie.199523651
Subject(s) - polarizability , molecule , polarization (electrochemistry) , laser , trapping , electric field , anisotropy , light field , atomic physics , infrared , materials science , optics , molecular physics , chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , ecology , biology
An alternative to matrix isolation , cold molecules can be trapped and aligned in vacuum by an intense infrared laser field according to theoretical considerations expounded recently. The method is based on the polarization of the molecules by the electric field of the light, which creates an attractive potential. If the polarizability of the molecules is anisotropic, the axis of highest polarizability will be aligned along the polarization direction of the laser.