Evanescent-wave mirror for ultracold diatomic polar molecules.

We describe the interaction of an ultracold diatomic polar molecule with an evanescent-wave mirror. Several features of this system are explored, such as the coupling between internal rovibrational states of the molecule and the laser field. Numerical simulations show quantum reflection and state selection under attainable physical conditions. Such molecular optics components will facilitate the manipulation and trapping of ultracold molecules, and might serve in future applications in several fields, e.g., as devices to filter and select a state for ultracold chemistry, to measure extremely low temperatures of molecules, or to manipulate states for quantum information processing.

A phase-space approach to the T1 right arrow-wavy S0 radiationless decay in benzene: the effect of deuteration.

The influence of full deuteration on the T1 right arrow-wavy S0 intersystem crossing in benzene is studied by a phase space approach. A full treatment of all the vibrational modes in the molecule leads to a ratio of the rate between the two isotopomers which is very close to the experimental value. Several aspects of the results are compared to previous estimates, and the effects of anharmonicity on the rates and accepting modes are examined. This first successful application of the method to a real physical system encourages the possibility of establishing a routine procedure for simple calculations of transition rates even for relatively large molecules.