Controlling molecular motion: The molecule knows best

Over the past decade, an intense effort has brought together theoretical and laboratory tools for controlling molecular motion with tailored laser pulses. Various means for designing laser pulses are available, including a new procedure, discussed here, for carrying out the effort when there is uncertainty in the Hamiltonian. Presently, the most viable general procedure for achieving successful control over quantum systems in the laboratory is through the use of closed loop learning algorithms. The logic behind the operation of such algorithms is discussed, along with a summary of several recent laboratory achievements exploiting closed loop learning to control quantum and nonlinear optical phenomena.