Chapter 1 - Stark-Induced Adiabatic Passage Processes to Selectively Prepare Vibrationally Excited Single and Superposition of Quantum States

Abstract

We describe Stark-induced adiabatic Raman passage (SARP), a technique that we have extensively developed in our laboratory to prepare vibrationally excited single and superposition of quantum states of molecules with a large population density in a collision-free ambience, such as in a molecular beam. We present a theoretical framework of SARP using Schrödinger and density matrix equations. A Bloch-Feynman vector model picture is constructed to provide an intuitive and pictorial description of the Stark-induced adiabatic population transfer. Experimental results are presented in support of our theoretical simulations of SARP preparing both single and superpositions of rovibrational M-quantum states with near-complete population transfer. Additionally, we introduce a new Stark-induced adiabatic ladder climbing technique that is able to selectively populate a high-lying vibrational quantum state near dissociation. Brief descriptions of other related adiabatic passage processes, such as stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) and Stark-chirped rapid adiabatic passage (SCRAP), are added for completeness and for comparison with SARP.