Dynamical computations demonstrate considerable selectivity over the fragmentation channels of the LiH molecule via the polarization and the carrier envelope phase (CEP) of a single ultrashort one-cycle strong IR pulse. For aligned molecules, control of the CEP allows building nonstationary coherent electronic wave packets of contrasting ionic character, either $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{i}}^{\delta +}{\mathrm{H}}^{\delta -}$ or $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{i}}^{\delta -}{\mathrm{H}}^{\delta +}$. The complementary coherences are maintained all the way to dissociation. The direction of the electric field at its maximum points either towards the Li or towards the H atom, which selectively steers the nuclear dynamics to specific dissociation products.

• Received 15 October 2016
• Revised 19 February 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.95.053404