Efficient control of electron localization by subcycle waveform synthesis

We propose and demonstrate an efficient scheme for steering the electron localization of hydrogen molecules and their isotopes. Our scheme is based on the idea of subcycle waveform shaping by synthesizing coherent multicycle IR pulses of different wavelengths. This scheme leads to a good balance between the control of electronic and molecular motions. The results of a quantum model simulation indicate a substantial enhancement of the electron localization asymmetry compared with that of a few-cycle one-color pulse. Sixty-eight percent and 89% of the electrons in the dissociating fragments can be localized to one nucleus for H-2(+) and H-2, respectively.