Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.104, No.4, 1344-1349, 1996
Multimode Floquet Theory for Atomic and Molecular Laser-Modified Collision Processes
We outline a multimode-Floquet-based approach to the analysis of atomic and molecular laser-modified collision processes. The approach depends upon Fourier decomposition of the radiation field and identification of time-independent laser-interaction elements in the Floquet representation. The corresponding time-independent Floquet dynamical equations are solved and S-matrix elements between the various Floquet channels collected to determine the transition probabilities of interest. The approach is examined for laser excitation in a model energy transfer system. Results are compared with ones obtained conventionally, i.e., by explicitly following the time dependence of the held amplitude. We conclude that the Floquet method nicely complements the conventional.