A new technique is used to observe the dynamics of electronic alignment in a dissociating collision complex. The technique requires the absorption of two optical photons during a single binary collision. Two exciting light fields are tuned into the wings of the 3s1s0-3p1 and 3p1p1-5s1s0 resonances of Mg where strong collisions with rare gas atoms induce transitions between corresponding molecular states. The alignment produced in the intermediate state by the first excitation is probed by the second laser as a function of relative linear laser polarization and laser detunings. This accesses a range of interatomic separations and produces a spectrum which represents a frequency domain analog of the time evolution of the alignment in the intermediate state. Spectra for Mg-Ne and Mg-Ar show features which depend strongly on the rare gas and the details of the interatomic potentials. Observed polarizations range from 10% to 100%.
","abstract_html":"<p>A new technique is used to observe the dynamics of electronic alignment in a dissociating collision complex. The technique requires the absorption of two optical photons during a single binary collision. Two exciting light fields are tuned into the wings of the 3s<sup>1</sup>s<sub>0</sub>-3p<sub>1</sub> and 3p<sup>1</sup>p<sub>1</sub>-5s<sup>1</sup>s<sub>0</sub> resonances of Mg where strong collisions with rare gas atoms induce transitions between corresponding molecular states. The alignment produced in the intermediate state by the first excitation is probed by the second laser as a function of relative linear laser polarization and laser detunings. This accesses a range of interatomic separations and produces a spectrum which represents a frequency domain analog of the time evolution of the alignment in the intermediate state. Spectra for Mg-Ne and Mg-Ar show features which depend strongly on the rare gas and the details of the interatomic potentials. Observed polarizations range from 10% to 100%.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Olsgaard, David Allen"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Physics","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Mark D. Havey","Gary E. Copeland","G. Hoy","A. Sieradzan","J. Wallace Van Orden"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1992,"date_issued":"1992-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"1992-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:35:30Z","subjects":["Electronic alignment","Magnesium-argon","Neon","Optical collisions","Photodissociation","Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics","Chemistry"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
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"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Investigation of Alignment Dynamics in Mg-Ne and Mg-Ar Two-Photon Fractional Collisions"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Mark D. Havey","Gary E. Copeland","G. Hoy","A. Sieradzan","J. Wallace Van Orden"],"dc:creator":["Olsgaard, David Allen"],"dc:date.available":["2019-10-21T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["A new technique is used to observe the dynamics of electronic alignment in a dissociating collision complex. The technique requires the absorption of two optical photons during a single binary collision. Two exciting light fields are tuned into the wings of the 3s1s0-3p1 and 3p1p1-5s1s0 resonances of Mg where strong collisions with rare gas atoms induce transitions between corresponding molecular states. The alignment produced in the intermediate state by the first excitation is probed by the second laser as a function of relative linear laser polarization and laser detunings. This accesses a range of interatomic separations and produces a spectrum which represents a frequency domain analog of the time evolution of the alignment in the intermediate state. Spectra for Mg-Ne and Mg-Ar show features which depend strongly on the rare gas and the details of the interatomic potentials. Observed polarizations range from 10% to 100%.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/physics_etds/110"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
"],"dc:subject":["Electronic alignment","Magnesium-argon","Neon","Optical collisions","Photodissociation","Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics","Chemistry"],"dc:title":["Investigation of Alignment Dynamics in Mg-Ne and Mg-Ar Two-Photon Fractional Collisions"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Physics"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:35:30Z"}