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Title: Dynamics of quantum wave packets

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/677123· OSTI ID:677123

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The objective of this project was to develop ultrafast laser techniques for the creation and measurement of quantum vibrational wave packets in gas phase diatomic molecules. Moreover, the authors sought to manipulate the constitution of these wave packets in terms of harmonic-oscillator basis wavefunctions by manipulating the time-dependent amplitude and phase of the incident ultrashort laser pulse. They specifically investigated gaseous diatomic potassium (K{sub 2}), and discovered variations in the shape of the wave packets as a result of changing the linear chirp in the ultrashort preparation pulse. In particular, they found evidence for wave-packet compression for a specific degree of chirp. Important ancillary results include development of new techniques for denoising and deconvolution of femtosecond time traces and techniques for diagnosing the phase and amplitude of the electric field of femtosecond laser pulses.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
677123
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-98-1523; ON: DE99000562; TRN: 99:001036
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: [1998]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English