FIELD OPTIMIZED INITIAL-STATE BASED CONTROL OF PHOTODISSOCIATION

A new scheme for controlling photodissociation through preparation of a variationally optimized linear superposition of field free vibration al eigenstates is applied for selective control of IBr and HI dissocia tion. The dependence of photodissociation on various field parameters and initial conditions is examined to investigate the mechanistic basi s of selective control. The parametric equations of motion approach fo r determining vibrational dynamics as a function of field parameters w ithout having to solve the time dependent Schrodinger equation explici tly for each field parameter separately is outlined and its use to ide ntify field characteristics which will provide the requisite populatio n mix represented by the optimal linear superposition of vibrational s tates is advocated.