Controlling molecular orientation through radiative rotational transitions in strong static electric fields

Abstract

The effects of a static, homogeneous, and strong electric field on the radiative and steric properties of the LiCs molecule in its $^{1}\ensuremath{\Sigma}^{+}$ electronic ground state are investigated. Combining discretization and basis-set methods, the rovibrational Schr\odinger equation is solved and dipole transition rates are calculated. Spontaneous emission decay rates and radiative lifetimes of rovibrationally excited states have been studied extensively and particularly in the presence of the external homogeneous electric field. The intriguing possibility to control the alignment and orientation by applying a sufficiently strong field while switching between different configurations via absorption and emission processes is demonstrated.