Biography

SCIENTIFIC SYNOPSIS
Prof. Marjatta Lyyra co-pioneered high- resolution continuous wave triple resonance spectroscopy with initial applications in the areas of large internuclear distance spectroscopy and state-selective photo-dissociation dynamics studies in collaboration with the research group of Profs. William C. Stwalley and Paul D. Kleiber at the University of Iowa. More recently Prof. Lyyra’s group has used this technique on coherence and quantum interference effects such as Electromagnetically Induced Transparency and Autler-Townes splitting in open molecular systems. Her group has shown that these effects can be used to control molecular angular momentum alignment and quantum state character (singlet-triplet). In addition, her group has shown that Autler-Townes effect can be used as a precision probe of molecular transition dipole moments and their internuclear distance dependence. In this case an accurate measurement of the coupling laser E field amplitude together with the simulation of the Autler-Townes split line shape play a key role. Prof. Lyyra’s group is also working on frequency domain coherent control of the gateway-effect of population flow through a pair of singlet-triplet levels perturbed by the spin-orbit interaction. Work is under way to optimize this process by the development of an all-optical spin switch, which is the focus of her research group currently.