Molecular beam focusing of ICl in rotational states with positive induced electric dipole moments

Electric deflection of rotating molecules

We provide a theory of the deflection of polar and nonpolar rotating molecules by inhomogeneous static electric field. Rainbowlike features in the angular distribution of the scattered molecules are analyzed in detail. Furthermore, we demonstrate that one may efficiently control the deflection process with the help of short and strong femtosecond laser pulses. In particular, the deflection process may be turned off by a proper excitation, and the angular dispersion of the deflected molecules can be substantially reduced. We study the problem both classically and quantum mechanically, taking into account the effects of strong deflecting field on the molecular rotations. In both treatments we arrive at the same conclusions. The suggested control scheme paves the way for many applications involving molecular focusing, guiding, and trapping by inhomogeneous fields.

State- and conformer-selected beams of aligned and oriented molecules for ultrafast diffraction studies

The manipulation of the motion of neutral molecules with electric or magnetic fields has seen tremendous progress over the last decade. Recently, these techniques have been extended to the manipulation of large and complex molecules. In this article we introduce experimental approaches to the manipulation of large molecules, i.e., the deflection, focusing and deceleration using electric fields. We detail how these methods can be exploited to spatially separate quantum states and how to select individual conformers of complex molecules. We briefly describe mixed-field orientation experiments made possible by the quantum-state selection. Moreover, we provide an outlook on ultrafast diffraction experiments using these highly controlled samples.

Experimental and theoretical study of the photodissociation reaction of thiophenol at 243nm: Intramolecular orbital alignment of the phenylthiyl radical

The photoinduced hydrogen (or deuterium) detachment reaction of thiophenol (C(6)H(5)SH) or thiophenol-d(1) (C(6)H(5)SD) pumped at 243 nm has been investigated using the H (D) ion velocity map imaging technique. Photodissociation products, corresponding to the two distinct and anisotropic rings observed in the H (or D) ion images, are identified as the two lowest electronic states of phenylthiyl radical (C(6)H(5)S). Ab initio calculations show that the singly occupied molecular orbital of the phenylthiyl radical is localized on the sulfur atom and it is oriented either perpendicular or parallel to the molecular plane for the ground (B(1)) and the first excited state (B(2)) species, respectively. The experimental energy separation between these two states is 2600+/-200 cm(-1) in excellent agreement with the authors' theoretical prediction of 2674 cm(-1) at the CASPT2 level. The experimental anisotropy parameter (beta) of -1.0+/-0.05 at the large translational energy of D from the C(6)H(5)SD dissociation indicates that the transition dipole moment associated with this optical transition at 243 nm is perpendicular to the dissociating S-D bond, which in turn suggests an ultrafast D+C(6)H(5)S(B(1)) dissociation channel on a repulsive potential energy surface. The reduced anisotropy parameter of -0.76+/-0.04 observed at the smaller translational energy of D suggests that the D+C(6)H(5)S(B(2)) channel may proceed on adiabatic reaction paths resulting from the coupling of the initially excited state to other low-lying electronic states encountered along the reaction coordinate. Detailed high level ab initio calculations adopting multireference wave functions reveal that the C(6)H(5)S(B(1)) channel may be directly accessed via a (1)(n(pi),sigma(*)) photoexcitation at 243 nm while the key feature of the photodissociation dynamics of the C(6)H(5)S(B(2)) channel is the involvement of the (3)(n(pi),pi(*))-->(3)(n(sigma),sigma(*)) profile as well as the spin-orbit induced avoided crossing between the ground and the (3)(n(pi),sigma(*)) state. The S-D bond dissociation energy of thiophenol-d(1) is accurately estimated to be D(0)=79.6+/-0.3 kcalmol. The S-H bond dissociation energy is also estimated to give D(0)=76.8+/-0.3 kcalmol, which is smaller than previously reported ones by at least 2 kcalmol. The C-H bond of the benzene moiety is found to give rise to the H fragment. Ring opening reactions induced by the pi-pi(*)n(pi)-pi(*) transitions followed by internal conversion may be responsible for the isotropic broad translational energy distribution of fragments.

Alternate gradient focusing and deceleration of a molecular beam

Neutral dipolar molecules can be decelerated and trapped using time-varying inhomogeneous electric fields. This has been demonstrated only for molecules in low-field seeking states, but can, in principle, be performed on molecules in high-field seeking states as well. Transverse stability is then much more difficult to obtain, however, since molecules in high-field seeking states always experience a force towards the electrodes. Here we demonstrate that an array of dipole lenses in alternate gradient configuration can be used to maintain transverse stability. A pulsed beam of metastable CO in high-field seeking states is accelerated from 275 to 289 m/s as well as decelerated from 275 to 260 m/s.