OPTIMAL PUMP-DUMP CONTROL - LINEARIZATION AND SYMMETRY RELATION

A generalized eigenequation is derived for the optimal pairs of phase- unlocked pump-dump fields in the control of pure state molecular syste ms in the weak response regime. The associated eigenvalues are further correlated to the yields of pump-dump control, thus the globally opti mal pair of phase-unlocked pump-dump fields is identified unambiguousl y. Presented is also a hierarchy of reduction from the general Liouvil le-space density matrix control formulation in the strong response reg ime to various linearized control equations in the weak response regim e. Application to the control of a molecular ro-vibronic level in the ground electronic surface reveals a novel symmetry relation between th e optimal pump field and its counterpart of the optimal dump field. (C ) 1997 American Institute of Physics.