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Liu LR, Rosenberg D, Changala PB, Crowley PJD, Nesbitt DJ, Yao NY, Tscherbul TV, Ye J. Ergodicity breaking in rapidly rotating C 60 fullerenes. Science 2023; 381:778-783. [PMID: 37590361 DOI: 10.1126/science.adi6354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Ergodicity, the central tenet of statistical mechanics, requires an isolated system to explore all available phase space constrained by energy and symmetry. Mechanisms for violating ergodicity are of interest for probing nonequilibrium matter and protecting quantum coherence in complex systems. Polyatomic molecules have long served as a platform for probing ergodicity breaking in vibrational energy transport. Here, we report the observation of rotational ergodicity breaking in an unprecedentedly large molecule, 12C60, determined from its icosahedral rovibrational fine structure. The ergodicity breaking occurs well below the vibrational ergodicity threshold and exhibits multiple transitions between ergodic and nonergodic regimes with increasing angular momentum. These peculiar dynamics result from the molecule's distinctive combination of symmetry, size, and rigidity, highlighting its relevance to emergent phenomena in mesoscopic quantum systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee R Liu
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Dina Rosenberg
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - P Bryan Changala
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | | | - David J Nesbitt
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Norman Y Yao
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02135, USA
| | | | - Jun Ye
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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