Abstract

The arrival of femtosecond laser pulses has made it is possible to interrogate molecular motion on a time-scale within a vibrational period and achieve state selection in molecular processes [1,2]. We have included key aspects of the interaction of lasers with molecules in wave packet, studies [2,3]. Emphasis has been placed on the process of wave packet excitation and on the traversal of a wave packet, through a resonance which couples it to another electronic level (known as a laser induced crossing). We use both simple models and exact quantum mechanical calculations performed on super-computers.

© 1996 IEEE