Dissipation effects on laser control of cis/trans isomerization

Photoisomerization in a dissipative environment is examined using optimal control within the secular Redfield approximation. With decoherence assumed rapid compared to relaxation, we find that as the environment-induced dissipation increases the optimal pulse moves towards earlier pulse times (to take advantage of relaxation effects), shorter duration, increased power, with lower resultant target cross sections. The control mechanism is seen to change from pump–dump to pump–dump-plus-environmentally-induced-relaxation as the coupling to the environment increases.