Chemistry in high-frequency strong laser fields: the story of HeS molecule

Abstract

The laser-induced stabilisation of atoms producing new chemical species has been evidenced before in the case of helium atoms in high-frequency strong laser fields producing quasi-stable dimers with a strong chemical bond. In the current work, it is shown that the laser-dressed orbitals of helium atoms retain their atomic character, for feasible laser parameters. Namely, the laser-dressed electron density of helium atom peaks at the atomic position. Yet, because of light-induced polarisation two other smaller peaks are obtained at the two classical turning points of the electronic quiver motion. The situation is remarkably different for the case of many-electron atoms such as sulphur. The laser-dressed electron density does not peak at the atomic nucleus (as in the case of helium in laser fields), but maximises at the two classical turning points of the electronic quiver motion that is induced by the high-frequency strong laser field. In the presence of high-frequency strong linear polarised laser field sulphur atoms and helium atoms interact to produce a strong chemical bond which is three orders of magnitude stronger than conventional chemical bonds and the laser-dressed bond in helium dimer. Moreover, as we show here, by varying the quiver length parameter of the laser field and the inter-nuclear distance, the structure of HeS changes from one isomer to another, as evidenced by the double minima in the laser-dressed Born–Oppenheimer potential energy curves.