We investigate classical chaotic scattering between two atoms interacting via a Morse potential in the presence of a laser field. We find that stable resonance islands appear in phase space above the field-free dissociation energy in an impulsively driven model. A local expansion relating this model to the Hénon map predicts the existence of such resonance islands within some finite domain in parameter space for any impulsively driven potential model. By switching on the external field during collision we show how stable field-dressed molecules can be formed with energy above the field-free dissociation threshold. The experimental and quantum relevance of such phenomenon is discussed.

• Received 3 June 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.45.5512