Knowledge Bank

A method to achieve intramolecular selectivity based on using a train of coherent optical pulses with variable time delays is proposed. For the model system of two shifted harmonic surfaces irradiated by a sequence of n coherent pulses, the necessary time delays are the following: $\tau 1=\tau 2=\tau n-1=T/n$, where T is the vibrational period of the upper state oscillator. The effects of pulse duration, relative phase, and vibrational anharmonicity are analyzed.