Controlling molecular collisions: unveiling the secrets of cold molecules

This project aims to study and control individual molecule interactions during specific collisions, a long-held dream of chemical physicists. By developing new techniques, we can study these collisions at extremely low temperatures (ranging from 10 millikelvin to 10 Kelvin) and manipulate their behavior using electric and magnetic fields. At these cold temperatures, quantum effects like interference and tunneling are important. Scattering resonances occur during collisions, and they are very sensitive to external electric or magnetic fields. This provides us an exciting opportunity to use these fields as "control knobs" to manipulate and control the process of molecular collisions.

Scattering resonances

In this project we study scattering resonances in important chemical systems involving molecules like OH, NO, NH3, and H2CO.  By utilizing external electric or magnetic fields, we can manipulate the positions and widths of scattering resonances, which lead to changes in collision rates. This approach, known as "collision engineering," will give deeper insights in unexplored quantum phenomena and provide tests for molecular interaction theories, opening new possibilities in the emerging research field of cold molecules.