Optical deflection of molecules

When intense light interacts with a molecule it induces a force proportional to the gradient of the Stark shift. We use this nonresonant force to deflect ${\mathrm{I}}_2$ and ${\mathrm{CS}}_2$ molecules. We trace the direction of molecules in a molecular beam, showing that the molecules that pass near the center of a 1.06-μm or 10.6-μm laser beam will focus. We predict that Stark shifts on the order of 50 meV can be obtained for all small molecules and atoms while maintaining ionization rates below ${10}^6{\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{-}1}.$ Among the devices that can be based on the nonresonant Stark shift are molecular accelerators and molecular quantum wires.