Inducing changes in the bond length of diatomic molecules by time-symmetric chirped pulses

We show numerically that it is possible to change the structure of a simple molecule, that is, a diatomic molecule, where the bond length is modified at a precise timing with symmetrically chirped laser pulses. In the adiabatic regime, the process is fully time reversible, making it possible to design slow vibrations with large bond elongations. The scheme relies on the preparation of a separable state of both nuclear and electronic degrees of freedom with predominant amplitude on the dissociative (antibonding) electronic wave function. Shorter laser pulses can be used to dynamically induce larger bond elongations, preparing a highly excited vibrational wave packet in the ground potential as the laser is switched off.