As part of the Physics 2010 decadal survey project, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation requested that the National Research Council assess the opportunities, over roughly the next decade, in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) science and technology. In particular, the National Research Council was asked to cover the state of AMO science, emphasizing recent accomplishments and identifying new and compelling scientific questions. Controlling the Quantum World, discusses both the roles and challenges for AMO science in instrumentation; scientific research near absolute zero; development of extremely intense x-ray and laser sources; exploration and control of molecular processes; photonics at the nanoscale level; and development of quantum information technology. This book also offers an assessment of and recommendations about critical issues concerning maintaining U.S. leadership in AMO science and technology.

This volume contains the lectures and communications presented at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (NATO ARW 900857) which was held May 5-10, 1991 at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A scientific commitee made up of P.P. Lambropoulos (USC & Crete), P.8. Corkum (NRC, Ottawa), and H. B. vL. van den Heuvell (FOM, Amsterdam) guided the organizers, A.D. Bandrauk (Sherbrooke) and S.C. Wallace (Toronto) in preparing a programme which would cover the latest advances in the field of atom and molecule laser interactions. Since the last meeting held in July 1987 on "Atomic and Molecular Processes with Short Intense Laser Pulses", NATO ASI vol 1718 (Plenum Press 1988), considerable progress has been made in understanding high intensity effects on atoms and the concomitant coherence effects. After four years, the emphasis is now shifting more to molecules. The present volume represents therefore this trend with four sections covering the main interests of research endeavours in this area: i) Atoms in Intense Laser-Fields ii) Molecules in Intense Laser Fields iii) Atomic Coherences iv) Molecular Coherences The experience developed over the years in multiphoton atomic processes has been very useful and is the main source of our understanding of similar processes in molecules. Thus ATI (above threshold ionization) has been found to occur in molecules as well as a new phenomenon, ATD (above-threshold dissociation). Laser-induced avoided crossings of molecular electronic surfaces is also now entering the current language of high intensity molecular processes.

This book brings together and discusses for the first time detailed analyses of the experiments with trapped ions, experiments on quantum beats, coherent population trapping, electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), electromagnetically induced absorption, creation of dark-states polaritons, subluminal and superluminal light, realization of a Fock state, and interference experiments in atom optics on atom grating, momentum distribution, and atom tunneling. This book is unique in many respects and will fill a gap in the literature.

Atom tunneling phenomena are a new paradigm in the science of materials. This book provides a wealth of interesting information about atom tunneling phenomena in physics, chemistry and biology. Topics include the theory of atom tunneling reactions, conclusive evidence and controlling factors for such reactions in solid hydrogen, tunneling dislocation motion, coherent tunneling diffusion, the production of interstellar molecules and semiconductors using tunneling reactions, the effect of atom tunneling on molecular structure and crystalline structure, the suppression of mutation and cancer by an atom tunneling reaction of vitamin C, and atom tunneling reactions of vitamin E and of enzymes. This book provides graduate students and nonspecialist readers with fascinating insights into the world of atom tunneling phenomena.

This anthology is devoted to the theoretical and experimental study of coherent phenomena in quantum optics. Considerable attention is devoted to the investigation of cooperative effects in multilevel molecular and atomic systems. The theoretical analysis is based on a single approach, using the theory of groups, which makes it possible to present the results in a compact and physically elegant form. The results of a detailed experimental and theoretical investigation of the photon echo, self-induced transparency, and nutation are presented. The theory of a coherent resonant mechanism for the interaction of laser radiation with multi atomic molecules which causes "prompt" dissociation is presented. A number of applied pos sibilities, in particular, the control of radiation by laser light and laser isotope separation, are analyzed.

Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics publishes reviews of recent developments in a field which is in a state of rapid growth, as new experimental and theoretical techniques are used on many old and new problems. Topics covered include related applied areas, such as atmospheric science, astrophysics, surface physics and laser physics. Articles are written by distinguished experts, and contain both relevant review material and detailed descriptions of important recent developments. - International experts - Comprehensive articles - New developments