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High-intensity optical-field population transfer between eigenstates

Dai Ikeda1,2,* and Yasuhiro Ohshima3,†

  • *Contact author: dai-ikeda@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
  • †Contact author: ohshima@chem.sci.isct.ac.jp
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APS Open Sci. 1, 000136 – Published 15 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/sy5j-g2cq

Abstract

Two types of coherent population transfer are developed using nonresonant intense ultrashort optical pulses. Transition-restricted wave-packet interference (WPI) achieves almost complete population transfer to the nearest state from the initial state. High-intensity optical-field population transfer between eigenstates (HOPE) also enables state-selective excitation of higher-lying states, exhibiting features of ac Stark-induced multiphoton Rabi oscillation and multipulse WPI. Experimentally, rotational excitation of nitric oxide from J=1/2 to J=3/2 via restricted WPI, and to J=5/2, 7/2, and 9/2 via HOPE, was demonstrated with respective efficiencies of 90%, 85%, 70%, and 17%.

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APS Open Sci. 1, 000136– Published 15 September, 2026
Vol. 1
  • Received 26 March 2026
  • Revised 30 July 2026
  • Accepted 8 September 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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