EFFICIENT COHERENT POPULATION TRANSFER IN NO MOLECULES USING PULSED LASERS

Highly efficient and selective population transfer in NO molecules in the electronic ground state (X2PI1/2) from the vibrational level upsilon''=0 to the level upsilon''=6 is demonstrated. It shows, for the first time with pulsed lasers, that a rather generally applicable scheme for complete control over the level population in atoms and molecules is now available. The efficiency relies on a counterintuitive interaction sequence of two lasers with the molecule in a process of stimulated Raman scattering involving adiabatic passage.