Cm. Dion et al., Laser-induced alignment dynamics of HCN: Roles of the permanent dipole moment and the polarizability, PHYS REV A, 59(2), 1999, pp. 1382-1391
The alignment dynamics of HCN, in a linear configuration, interacting with
linearly polarized infrared laser pulses are studied numerically by exact (
nonperturbative) solutions of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. The
alignment, with respect to the laser field polarization vector, is measured
from the angular distribution of the molecule using a defined half angle t
heta(1/2). It is shown that, at intensities I= 10(13) W/cm(2), alignment ca
n be achieved on a subpicosecond time scale with a single laser frequency,
in the presence of simultaneous dipole- and polarizahility-field interactio
ns. The results are compared to those of a laser-driven rigid-rotor analyti
cal model that is thoroughly developed. The importance of the permanent and
field-induced dipole moments on the alignment process is investigated, as
well as the role of vibrational excitation of the two molecular bonds. [S10
50-2947(99)03302-8].