Coherent control of collisional events: Bimolecular reactive scattering

Laser control over reactive and nonreactive collisional events of the B + C --> F + G type is shown possible via preparation of a superposition of degenerate initial states which interfere with one another. Required, however, is a controlled superposition of continuum states comprised of correlated products of internal B, C states and plane waves. We show that this can be achieved by the controlled preparation of a B superposition state followed by a shift in the kinetic energy of the superposition state components, guaranteeing the required degeneracy of terms in the superposition state and a reduction in center of mass related oscillations.