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Atomic and molecular interactions with photons is the study of the way in which the basic elements of matter interact with packets of electromagnetic energy. This interaction is determined largely by the electronic structure of atoms and molecules; photon absorption or emission is associated with an electron moving from one energy level to another.
The authors demonstrate, using coincident Coulomb explosion imaging, that the rotational dynamics of single nitrogen molecules can be used as a probe to sense the interactions with surrounding Ar atoms in gas-phase clusters.
Time-resolved photoelectron circular dichroism with a temporal resolution of 2.9 fs is used to track the ultrafast electron dynamics following ultraviolet excitation of neutral chiral molecules, which generate chiral currents that exhibit periodic rotation direction reversal.
Cold and ultracold molecules have emerged in the past two decades as a central topic in quantum gas studies. This Review charts the recent advances in cooling and quantum state control techniques that are shaping this evolving field.
The authors use femtosecond K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy to follow nuclear motion in a manganese-based tri-nuclear single-molecule magnet, and resolve changes in bond lengths on the order of hundreds of ångströms and on sub-picosecond timescales.
Sea-based optical clocks combining a molecular iodine spectrometer, fibre frequency comb and electronics for monitoring and control demonstrate high precision in a smaller volume than active hydrogen masers.
Interacting emitters are the fundamental building blocks of quantum optics and quantum information devices. Pairs of organic molecules embedded in a crystal can become permanently strongly interacting when they are pumped with intense laser light.
Precise frequencies of nearly forbidden transitions have been ascertained in the simplest molecule, the molecular hydrogen ion. This work offers a new perspective on precision measurements and fundamental physical tests with molecular spectroscopy.
A promising pathway towards the laser cooling of a molecule containing a radioactive atom has been identified. The unique structure of such a molecule means that it can act as a magnifying lens to probe fundamental physics.
Laser cooling of neutral and positively charged ions is well mastered, but cooling of anions remains largely unexplored. Now, laser-induced evaporative cooling of negatively charged molecules has been achieved.
Controlling the response of a material to light at the single-atom level is a key factor for many quantum technologies. An experiment now shows how to control the optical properties of an atomic array by manipulating the state of a single atom.
Boson sampling is a benchmark problem for photonic quantum computers and a potential avenue towards quantum advantage. A scheme to realize a boson sampler based on the vibrational modes in a chain of trapped ions instead has now been demonstrated.