Infrared laser pulse controlled ultrafast H-atom switching in two-dimensional asymmetric double well potentials

The laser induced isomerisation of malonaldehyde derivatives is studied using a two-dimensional model Hamiltonian. The two selected coordinates describe the H-atom motion coupled to a heavy atom mode which modulates the reaction barrier on the basis of the solutions of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation pulse characteristics are determined which yield an efficient switching of the H-atom wavepacket between the two isomers within a pump-dump scheme. The influence of various system parameters such as the heavy-light atom coupling and the direction of the dipole moment is investigated.