Generation and Control of Ultrafast 10 μm Laser Pulses for Driving Chemical Dynamics

Optimal Control Theory (OCT) has suggested shaped laser pulses in the mid-infrared (MIR) spectral range for application in various fields, ranging from molecular cooling to laser aided chemical reactions and quantum computing. Furthermore they have been successfully applied to tailored excitation of vibrational levels in molecules, paving the way towards laser selective chemistry by vibrational preparation of the molecule in the electronic ground state.