Torsional control by intense pulses

We generalize the concepts of alignment and 3D alignment by moderately intense laser pulses to control both the overall rotations and the torsional motions of polyatomic molecules. Torsional control is applied to manipulate charge transfer events, hence introducing a potential route to light controlled molecular switches. Potential applications in areas such as molecular assembly, molecular spectroscopies, energy transfer, and molecule-based junctions are envisioned.