Controlled enantiomeric transformation with femtosecond laser pulses (B04)

• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 328961117

This project studies the transformation of an individual molecule from one enantiomer to the other. Thereby, we exploit chirality-modifying wave packets that are created by excitation of the molecule with a short laser pulse. After the first observation of such wave packets in the molecular ground state, we will expand the studies to wave packets in excited states with achiral geometry. Afterwards, the goal is to stop the wave packets in such a way that the chirality of the molecule has changed. On the long term, the transformation is to become selective on its direction, i.e., one could use it to change a racemate into an enantiopure sample.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1319: Extreme light for sensing and driving molecular chirality (ELCH)
• Applicant Institution: Universität Kassel
• Project Head: Dr. Arne Senftleben