  Since its invention in 1999, optical centrifuge has become a powerful tool
for controlling molecular rotation and studying molecular dynamics and
molecular properties at extreme levels of rotational excitation. The technique
has been applied to a variety of molecular species, from simple linear
molecules to symmetric and asymmetric tops, to molecular ions and chiral
enantiomers. Properties of isolated ultrafast rotating molecules, so-called
molecular superrotors, have been investigated, as well as their collisions with
one another and interaction with external fields. The ability of an optical
centrifuge to spin a particular molecule of interest depends on both the
molecular structure and the parameters of the centrifuge laser pulse. An
interplay between these two factors dictates the utility of an optical
centrifuge in any specific application. Here, we discuss the strategy of
assessing and adjusting the properties of the centrifuge to those of the
molecular rotors, and describe two practical examples of optical centrifuges
with very different characteristics, implemented experimentally in our
laboratory.
