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Hasegawa Lab
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The lab aims to understand how intense light interacts with molecules, with the goal of controlling molecules.
AboutAbout the lab
Steering the orientation of molecules with intense light
The Hasegawa Lab studies the interaction between high-intensity laser light and molecules in order to understand it in depth.
The lab also aims to open up new areas of science that make use of high-intensity light.
Its work includes clarifying the ionization processes induced by high-intensity light, and generating extremely highly excited rotational states and investigating their properties.
To gain deep understanding from simple systems, the lab studies gas-phase isolated molecules.
Key terms
- Tunnel ionization
- A phenomenon in which the electric field of intense light allows an electron in a molecule to escape from it, leaving the molecule as an ion
- Rotational wave packet
- A superposition of multiple rotational states with different energies. The orientation of the molecule changes over time
- Gas-phase isolated molecule
- A molecule in the gas phase that exists individually, with almost no interaction with surrounding molecules
NewsLab news
A paper by Assistant Professor Ikeda and colleagues has been accepted to APS Open Science
A paper on the ionization of nitrogen molecules in high-intensity laser fields has been accepted to Physical Review A
The lab's Assistant Professor received the 18th Japan Society for Molecular Science Encouragement Award
A paper on rotational wave packets of nitrogen dioxide has been accepted to the Journal of Chemical Physics
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to thoroughly understand the interaction between high-intensity laser light and molecules, and to control molecules based on that understanding. To gain deep understanding from simple systems, it studies gas-phase isolated molecules.
*Illustrative imageIonization by High-Intensity Light
When exposed to the electric field of intense light, electrons in a molecule undergo tunnel ionization. The rate is determined by the energy of the molecular orbital the electron occupied, and because a molecule has a definite shape, it also depends on the angle between the polarization direction of the light and the orientation of the molecule. The lab studies this mechanism in detail.
*Illustrative imageCreating Extremely Highly Excited Rotational States
Research is advancing worldwide on creating rotational wave packets in highly excited rotational states called superrotors (ultrafast rotational states), which cannot be reached by conventional methods, and on investigating their properties. When a molecule rotates at high speed, centrifugal force breaks its chemical bonds, so superrotors are expected to be developed into a tool for breaking bonds.
*Illustrative imageDynamics Arising from Angular Momentum
The lab observes dynamics that arise when the various angular momenta within a molecule influence one another.
*Illustrative imageControlling Molecules with New Light Sources
Creating ultrafast rotational states requires controlled light, and the lab works on generating such light. The theme aims to control the states of molecules using novel light sources.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Hasegawa Lab are faculty, master's students, research students, and undergraduate students accepted from other universities.As of 2026
- ProfessorHirokazu HasegawaPublications ↗
- Assistant Professor池田 大
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Dye laser SF-07” Sergey100 / Public domain (cropped)
- Ionization by High-Intensity Light: “Efiech tunèu” Nicolas Eynaud / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Creating Extremely Highly Excited Rotational States: “Gradosdelibertad” G.W.C. / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Dynamics Arising from Angular Momentum: “Angular Momentum of a Diatomic Molecule” Dbdhuri / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Controlling Molecules with New Light Sources: “Argon laser beam and diffraction mirror” Lazord00d / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (栗原(貴之)研究室): “Femtosecond Laser and Pulse Compressor - Optics Lab - INRIM” Giorgio Brida from Torino, Italy / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (桐谷研究室): “Molybdenite-3D-balls” Ben Mills / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (佐藤(守俊)研究室): “Green fluorescent protein (GFP) in Eppendorf Tubes” Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (理論化学研究室
（横川研究室） ): “Separatory funnel with oil and colored water” PRHaney / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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