21–26 Jun 2026
U. Ottawa - Learning Crossroads (CRX) Building
America/Toronto timezone
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Control of molecular rotation in helium nanodroplets with an optical centrifuge

22 Jun 2026, 15:30
15m
U. Ottawa - Learning Crossroads (CRX) Building

U. Ottawa - Learning Crossroads (CRX) Building

100 Louis-Pasteur Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 9N3
Oral (Non-Student) / Orale (non-étudiant(e)) Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, Canada / Physique atomique, moléculaire et photonique, Canada (DAMOPC-DPAMPC) (DAMOPC) M2-11 | (DPAMPC)

Speaker

Dr Ian MacPhail-Bartley (University of British Columbia)

Description

We experimentally demonstrate that the rotation of molecules embedded in helium nanodroplets can be controlled with an optical centrifuge, allowing for the study of molecular dynamics inside the strongly interacting many-body environment of superfluid helium at variable levels of rotational excitation. We show that forced in-field rotation of molecules is possible over a continuous range of frequencies, and that with resonant excitation the field-free excited state rotational dynamics can be observed. This allows for time-domain measurements of state lifetimes, and allows us to study the interaction of superfluids with defects at the atomic level.

Keyword-1 coherent control
Keyword-2 superfluidity
Keyword-3 molecular dynamics

Author

Dr Ian MacPhail-Bartley (University of British Columbia)

Co-authors

Mr Sören Mahr (University of British Columbia) Mr Cameron Peters (UBC) Dr Alexander Milner (University of British Columbia) Prof. Frank Stienkemeier (University of Freiburg) Valery Milner (UBC)

Presentation materials

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