Two-Pulse Atomic Coherent Control (2PACC) Spectroscopy of Eley-Rideal Reactions. An Application of an Atom Laser

Abstract

A spectroscopic application of the atom laser is suggested. The spectroscopy termed 2PACC employs the coherent properties of matter-waves from a two pulse atom laser. These waves are employed to control a gas-surface chemical recombination reaction. The method is demonstrated for an Eley-Rideal reaction of a hydrogen or alkali atom-laser pulse where the surface target is an adsorbed hydrogen atom. The reaction yields either a hydrogen or alkali hydride molecule. The desorbed gas phase molecular yield and its internal state is shown to be controlled by the time and phase delay between two atom-laser pulses. The calculation is based on solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation in a diabatic framework. The probability of desorption which is the predicted 2PACC signal has been calculated as a function of the pulse parameters.