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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
Published on: January 9, 2014
Three dimensional alignment of molecules using elliptically polarized laser fields
1Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Arhus, DK-8000 Arhus C, Denmark.
Abstract:
We demonstrate, theoretically and experimentally, that an intense, elliptically polarized, nonresonant laser field can simultaneously force all three axes of a molecule to align along given axes fixed in space, thus inhibiting the free rotation in all three Euler angles. Theoretically, the effect is illustrated through time dependent quantum mechanical calculations. Experimentally, 3, 4-dibromothiophene molecules are aligned with a nanosecond laser pulse. The alignment is probed by 2D ion imaging of the fragments from a 20 fs laser pulse induced Coulomb explosion.
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