Orientation and Alignment Dynamics of Polar Molecule Driven by Shaped Laser Pulses

Abstract

We review on the theoretical status of intense laser orientation and alignment-a field at the interface between intense laser physics and chemical dynamics with the potential applications ranging from high harmonic generation, nano-scale processing and control of chemical reactions. The evolution of the rotational wave packet and its dynamics leading to orientation and alignment is the topic of the present discussion. The major part of the article basically presents an overview on recent theoretical progress in controlling the orientation and alignment dynamics of a molecule by means of shaped laser pulses. The various theoretical approaches that lead to orientation and alignment ranging from static electrostatic field in combination with laser field(s), combination of orienting and aligning field, combination of aligning fields, combination of orienting fields, application of train of pulses etc. are discussed. It is focussed that the train of pulses proves to be quite efficient in increasing the orientation or alignment of a molecule without causing the molecule to ionize. The orientation and alignment both can occur in adiabatic and non-adiabatic conditions with the rotational