Selective bond breakage in HOD with shaped UV-femtosecond laser pulses

With HOD initially in its vibrational ground state, we analyze the laser-induced quantum control of the OD/OH branching ratio in D + OH ← HOD → H + OD, on the isolated potential energy surface associated with the first absorption band. Any form of UV-pulse shaping control – in the weak-field limit – will always lead to a branching ratio larger than ∼2. In the strong-field limit, it is possible to manipulate/control the wave packet motion on the isolated excited state surface via (bond-selective) dump to the electronic ground state. We discuss how to obtain a branching ratio less than 2, a signature of genuine control.