Spin-Orbit Induced Association under Ultrafast Laser Pulse Control

Abstract

The possibility of spin-orbit induced association reactions controlled by optimal femtosecond laser pulses is demonstrated for the example of Br+(3P) + H(2S) → HBr+(X2Π / A2Σ+) association. The nuclear wavepacket dynamics is simulated on the basis of ab initio data for HBr+. To achieve permanent, vibrationally state-selective association, both a Feshbach resonance between collision and vibronic energies and optimal timing between spin-orbit induced and laser pulse assisted transitions are important. The novel method can be effective even when direct photoassociation is forbidden.