2019/06/28 by Cherepanov, Igor N., Bighin, Giacomo, Christiansen, Lars +4
#Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph) #Atomic and Molecular Clusters (physics.atm-clus) #Chemical Physics (physics.chem-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1906.12238
We use laser-induced rotation of single molecules embedded in superfluid helium nanodroplets to reveal angular momentum dynamics and transfer in a controlled setting, under far-from-equilibrium conditions. As an unexpected result, we observe pronounced oscillations of time-dependent molecular alignment that have no counterpart in gas-phase molecules. Angulon theory reveals that these oscillations originate from the unique rotational structure of molecules in He droplets and quantum-state-specific transfer of rotational angular momentum to the many-body He environment on picosecond timescales. Our results pave the way to understanding collective effects of macroscopic angular momentum exchange in solid state systems in a bottom-up fashion.