Strong-field induced vibrational coherence in the ground electronic state of hot I2

We observe large amplitude coherent vibrations in vibrationally hot ground state neutral I2 molecules created through "Lochfrass," or "R-selective ionization." We directly measure the phase and amplitude of the vibrations. Our results support the notion of enhanced ionization at large internuclear separation over recent theoretical predictions for heavy molecules. Furthermore, simulations of the vibrational motion show that for Lochfrass the vibrational coherence, contrary to most coherent control schemes, is stronger for hot molecules than for cold molecules.