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Updated: May 16, 2026

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation
Published on: February 4, 2017
Predicted ordered assembly of ethylene molecules induced by polarized off-resonance laser pulses
Maxim Artamonov1, Tamar Seideman
1Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3113, USA.
Abstract:
We illustrate a new phenomenon in the dynamics of molecular ensembles subjected to moderately intense, far-off-resonance laser fields, namely, field-driven formation of perfectly ordered, defect-free assembly. Interestingly, both the arrangement of the constituting molecules within the individual assembly and the long-range order of the assembly with respect to one another are subject to control through choice of the field polarization. Relying on strong induced dipole-induced dipole interactions that are established in dense molecular media, the effect is expected to be general.
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