Theoretical/numerical study on strong-laser-induced interference in the B state of I2

Abstract

In the B state of I₂, strong-laser-induced interference (SLI) was recently observed in the population of each vibrational eigenstate within a wave packet, which was initially prepared by a pump pulse and then strongly modulated by an intense femtosecond near-infrared (NIR) laser pulse. It was suggested that the interference as a function of the time delay occurs between the eigenstate reached by Rayleigh scattering and that by Raman scattering. To verify this mechanism and further discuss its characteristics, we theoretically/numerically study the SLI by adopting a two-electronic-state model of I₂. Numerical simulation reasonably reproduces the experimental signals and confirms the theoretical consequences, which include the π-phase shifts between Stokes and anti-Stokes transitions and (practically) no contribution from the energy shifts induced by the NIR pulse.