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Since the appearance of the strong femtosecond laser pulses, it became possible to excite molecules to high rotational states and to align them in space under field-free conditions. In this talk, I will start from presenting a simple scheme for exciting unidirectional rotation of molecules in a gas.

 

 I will continue by discussing the prospects of using  this (and other related laser techniques) for modifying and controlling molecular scattering from solid surfaces. Finally, I will present recent experimental and theoretical developments in the collisional kinetics of molecular super-rotors, including effects of anomalous diffusion, sound wave generation and optical waveguides generation in the atmosphere.