Selective infrared laser pulse control of H and CO branching in the ground-state photodissociation of HCo(CO)4: A two-dimensional model simulation

A straightforward scheme for controlling photodissociation using simple infrared laser pulses is introduced. Starting from the vibrational ground state, the external field drives the coherent wave-packet motion into any of the two possible exit channels of the title reaction. For the axial CO channel it is shown that the dynamics can be understood in terms of a classical forced Morse oscillator tuned close to resonance with the transition frequency to the first excited vibrational state. In the H exit channel quantum effects are rendering the classical picture inapplicable. For both channels a photodissociation yield of more than 90% could be achieved.