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Laser control of chiral molecules
Optical centrifuge orients chiral molecules, with the direction of orientation depending on the relative handedness of the molecular enantiomer and the rotating centrifuge field!
Ultrafast Gas Magnetization
Optical centrifuge aligns the electronic spins of paramagnetic super-rotors, producing macroscopic magnetic fields in the gas on a picosecond time scale!
Anderson Localization of Molecular Rotation
Molecules exposed to intense laser pulses exhibit chaotic dynamics, dominated by the effect of quantum localization
Suppression of Rotational Decoherence
Molecular super-rotors “forget” the phase of their ultra-fast rotation more than 10 times slower than thermal molecules
Gyroscopic Dynamics and Sound Generation
Molecular super-rotors dissipate their enormous rotational energy into sound waves, detectable by unaided ear
Molecular Alignment
Strong centrifugal forces produced by an optical centrifuge confine asymmetric super-rotors to the plane of their rotation
Centrifuge Spectroscopy
Ionization spectra of O2 super-rotors with J=120, ten times above its room-temperature value
Molecular Stopwatches and Cogwheels
Rotational wave function of a super-rotor exhibits non-classical cogwheel structure!
Molecular Super Rotors
Time-dependent rotational Raman spectra reveal rotational frequencies of laser-centrifuged molecules exceeding 10 THz!
Optical Centrifuge
Optical centrifuge is a laser pulse whose linear polarization undergoes accelerated rotation, sweeping a corkscrew-shape surface. Molecules line up along the polarization vector and follow its rotation.

Coverage in Popular Media

April, 2020. AIP Scilight: link.
June, 2019. Chemistry World: link.
June, 2017. Physics World: link.
September, 2015. Synopsis in Physics: link.
September, 2015. Nplus1 (in Russian): link
March, 2014. Viewpoint in Physics: link.
January 2014. Chemistry World: link.

Students achievements

Ryan receives NSERC PGS-D scholarship!
Ian receives UBC 4YF scholarship!
Martin wins CAP thesis prize! (link)
Aleksey is a finalist for APS thesis award! (link)

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We are looking for graduate students (English, Russian)

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