TY - JOUR A1 - Pentlehner, Dominik A1 - Nielsen, Jens H. A1 - Slenczka, Alkwin A1 - Mølmer, Klaus A1 - Stapelfeldt, Henrik T1 - Impulsive Laser Induced Alignment of Molecules Dissolved in Helium Nanodroplets JF - Physical Review Letters N2 - We show that a 450 fs nonresonant, moderately intense, linearly polarized laser pulse can induce field-free molecular axis alignment of methyliodide (CH3I) molecules dissolved in a helium nanodroplet. Time-resolved measurements reveal rotational dynamics much slower than that of isolated molecules and absence of the sharp transient alignment recurrences characteristic of gas phase molecules. Our results presage a range of new opportunities for exploring both molecular dynamics in a dissipative environment and the properties of He nanodroplets. KW - Helium nanodroplets KW - mpulsive Laser Induced Alignment Y1 - 2013 IS - 110 ER -