Selectivity in intense field dissociation

Strong laser fields exert forces comparable to, or exceeding, the forces which bind atoms to molecules. We exploit this physics to achieve selectivity in the dissociation of triatomic cations, using a simple, intuitive approach. We propose a class of molecules for which a strong bond can be preferentially dissociated over a weak bond using a strong infrared pulse with very simple pulse parameters. Selectivity is demonstrated for a model system of the type ABC +.