Reaction control with shaped ultrashort laser pulses

Molecules are made of atoms, and these in turn consist of a core and surrounding electrons. Through the interaction with intense light the electrons are initially excited to vibrations. Like pushing a swing, it depends on the phase between excitation and oscillation if energy is absorbed into the system or not. The shaping of the light field thus directly affects the dynamics of electrons that ultimately determines the dynamics of the nuclei and thus the chemical reaction.

The shaping must be done with a precision far below the timescale of electron dynamics. In case of valence electrons, the Bohr frequency is in the range of femtoseconds (10^-15 s). Because our pulse shaper has a precision up to the range of zeptoseconds (10^-21 s), our methods are suitable for exerting control over these ultrafast dynamics.