1
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Chen Y, Haase D, Manz J, Wang H, Yang Y. From chiral laser pulses to femto- and attosecond electronic chirality flips in achiral molecules. Nat Commun 2024; 15:565. [PMID: 38233379 PMCID: PMC10794217 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44807-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Chirality is an important topic in biology, chemistry and physics. Here we show that ultrashort circularly polarized laser pulses, which are chiral, can be fired on achiral oriented molecules to induce chirality in their electronic densities, with chirality flips within femtoseconds or even attoseconds. Our results, obtained by quantum dynamics simulations, use the fact that laser pulses can break electronic symmetry while conserving nuclear symmetry. Here two laser pulses generate a superposition of three electronic eigenstates. This breaks all symmetry elements of the electronic density, making it chiral except at the periodic rare events of the chirality flips. As possible applications, we propose the combination of the electronic chirality flips with Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjiao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China
| | - Dietrich Haase
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörn Manz
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China.
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China.
| | - Huihui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China.
| | - Yonggang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China.
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2
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Morrigan L, Neville SP, Gregory M, Boguslavskiy AE, Forbes R, Wilkinson I, Lausten R, Stolow A, Schuurman MS, Hockett P, Makhija V. Ultrafast Molecular Frame Quantum Tomography. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:193001. [PMID: 38000424 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.193001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
We develop and experimentally demonstrate a methodology for a full molecular frame quantum tomography (MFQT) of dynamical polyatomic systems. We exemplify this approach through the complete characterization of an electronically nonadiabatic wave packet in ammonia (NH_{3}). The method exploits both energy and time-domain spectroscopic data, and yields the lab frame density matrix (LFDM) for the system, the elements of which are populations and coherences. The LFDM fully characterizes electronic and nuclear dynamics in the molecular frame, yielding the time- and orientation-angle dependent expectation values of any relevant operator. For example, the time-dependent molecular frame electronic probability density may be constructed, yielding information on electronic dynamics in the molecular frame. In NH_{3}, we observe that electronic coherences are induced by nuclear dynamics which nonadiabatically drive electronic motions (charge migration) in the molecular frame. Here, the nuclear dynamics are rotational and it is nonadiabatic Coriolis coupling which drives the coherences. Interestingly, the nuclear-driven electronic coherence is preserved over longer timescales. In general, MFQT can help quantify entanglement between electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom, and provide new routes to the study of ultrafast molecular dynamics, charge migration, quantum information processing, and optimal control schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luna Morrigan
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401, USA
| | - Simon P Neville
- National Research Council Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Margaret Gregory
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401, USA
| | - Andrey E Boguslavskiy
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, 150 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Ruaridh Forbes
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, 150 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Iain Wilkinson
- National Research Council Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
- Institute for Electronic Structure Dynamics, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany
| | - Rune Lausten
- National Research Council Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Albert Stolow
- National Research Council Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, 150 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- NRC-uOttawa Joint Centre for Extreme and Quantum Photonics (JCEP), Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Michael S Schuurman
- National Research Council Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Paul Hockett
- National Research Council Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Varun Makhija
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401, USA
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3
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Hanasaki K, Takatsuka K. Spin current in the early stage of radical reactions and its mechanisms. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:144111. [PMID: 37830453 DOI: 10.1063/5.0169281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
We study the electronic spin flux (atomic-scale flow of the spin density in molecules) by a perturbation analysis and ab initio nonadiabatic calculations. We derive a general perturbative expression of the charge and spin fluxes and identify the driving perturbation of the fluxes to be the time derivative of the electron-nucleus interaction term in the Hamiltonian. We then expand the expression in molecular orbitals so as to identify relevant components of the fluxes. Our perturbation theory describes the electronic fluxes in the early stage of reactions in an intuitively clear manner. The perturbation theory is then applied to an analysis of the spin flux obtained in ab initio calculations of the radical reaction of O2 and CH3· starting from three distinct spin configurations; (a) CH3· and triplet O2 with total spin of the system set Stot=1/2 (b) CH3· and singlet O2, Stot=1/2, and (c) CH3· and triplet O2, Stot=3/2. Further analysis of the time-dependent behaviors of the spin flux in these numerical simulations reveals (i) the spin flux induces rearrangement of the local spin structure, such as reduction of the spin polarization arising from the triplet O2 and (ii) the spin flux flows from O2 to CH3· in the reaction starting from spin configuration (a) and from CH3· to O2 in that starting from configuration (b), whereas no major intermolecular spin flux was observed in that starting from configuration (c). Our study thus establishes the mechanism of the spin flux that rearranges the local spin structures associated with chemical bonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kota Hanasaki
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8103, Japan
| | - Kazuo Takatsuka
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8103, Japan
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4
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Takatsuka K, Arasaki Y. Electronic-state chaos, intramolecular electronic energy redistribution, and chemical bonding in persisting multidimensional nonadiabatic systems. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:074110. [PMID: 37602802 DOI: 10.1063/5.0159178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We study the chaotic, huge fluctuation of electronic state, resultant intramolecular energy redistribution, and strong chemical bonding surviving the fluctuation with exceedingly long lifetimes of highly excited boron clusters. Those excited states constitute densely quasi-degenerate state manifolds. The huge fluctuation is induced by persisting multidimensional nonadiabatic transitions among the states in the manifold. We clarify the mechanism of their coexistence and its physical significance. In doing so, we concentrate on two theoretical aspects. One is quantum chaos and energy randomization, which are to be directly extracted from the properties of the total electronic wavefunctions. The present dynamical chaos takes place through frequent transitions from adiabatic states to others, thereby making it very rare for the system to find dissociation channels. This phenomenon leads to the concept of what we call intramolecular nonadiabatic electronic-energy redistribution, which is an electronic-state generaliztion of the notion of intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution. The other aspect is about the peculiar chemical bonding. We investigate it with the energy natural orbitals (ENOs) to see what kind of theoretical structures lie behind the huge fluctuation. The ENO energy levels representing the highly excited states under study appear to have four robust layers. We show that the energy layers responsible for chaotic dynamics and those for chemical bonding are widely separated from each other, and only when an event of what we call "inter-layer crossing" happens to burst can the destruction of these robust energy layers occur, resulting in molecular dissociation. This crossing event happens only rarely because of the large energy gaps between the ENO layers. It is shown that the layers of high energy composed of complex-valued ENOs induce the turbulent flow of electrons and electronic-energy in the cluster. In addition, the random and fast time-oscillations of those high energy ENOs serve as a random force on the nuclear dynamics, which can work to prevent a concentration of high nuclear kinetic energy in the dissociation channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuo Takatsuka
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, 606-8103 Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuki Arasaki
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, 606-8103 Kyoto, Japan
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5
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Arasaki Y, Takatsuka K. Energy natural orbital characterization of nonadiabatic electron wavepackets in the densely quasi-degenerate electronic state manifold. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:114102. [PMID: 36948795 DOI: 10.1063/5.0139288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dynamics and energetic structure of largely fluctuating nonadiabatic electron wavepackets are studied in terms of Energy Natural Orbitals (ENOs) [K. Takatsuka and Y. Arasaki, J. Chem. Phys. 154, 094103 (2021)]. Such huge fluctuating states are sampled from the highly excited states of clusters of 12 boron atoms (B12), which have densely quasi-degenerate electronic excited-state manifold, each adiabatic state of which gets promptly mixed with other states through the frequent and enduring nonadiabatic interactions within the manifold. Yet, the wavepacket states are expected to be of very long lifetimes. This excited-state electronic wavepacket dynamics is extremely interesting but very hard to analyze since they are usually represented in large time-dependent configuration interaction wavefunctions and/or in some other complicated forms. We have found that ENO gives an invariant energy orbital picture to characterize not only the static highly correlated electronic wavefunctions but also those time-dependent electronic wavefunctions. Hence, we first demonstrate how the ENO representation works for some general cases, choosing proton transfer in water dimer and electron-deficient multicenter chemical bonding in diborane in the ground state. We then penetrate with ENO deep into the analysis of the essential nature of nonadiabatic electron wavepacket dynamics in the excited states and show the mechanism of the coexistence of huge electronic fluctuation and rather strong chemical bonds under very random electron flows within the molecule. To quantify the intra-molecular energy flow associated with the huge electronic-state fluctuation, we define and numerically demonstrate what we call the electronic energy flux.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuki Arasaki
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, 606-8103 Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuo Takatsuka
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, 606-8103 Kyoto, Japan
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6
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Tremblay JC, Blanc A, Krause P, Giri S, Dixit G. Probing Electronic Symmetry Reduction during Charge Migration via Time-Resolved X-Ray Diffraction. Chemphyschem 2023; 24:e202200463. [PMID: 36166371 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202200463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The present work focuses on probing ultrafast charge migration after symmetry-breaking excitation using ultrashort laser pulses. LiCN is chosen as prototypical system because it can be oriented in the laboratory frame and it possesses optically-accessible charge transfer states at low energies. The charge migration is simulated within the hybrid time-dependent density functional theory/configuration interaction framework. Time-resolved electronic current densities and simulated time-resolved x-ray diffraction signals are used to unravel the mechanism of charge migration. Our simulations demonstrate that specific choices of laser polarization lead to a control over the symmetry of the induced charge migration. Moreover, time-resolved x-ray diffraction signals are shown to encode transient symmetry reduction at intermediate times.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ambre Blanc
- CNRS-Université de Lorraine, LPCT, 57070, Metz, France
| | - Pascal Krause
- Theory of Electron Dynamics and Spectroscopy, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Hahn-Meitner Platz 1, 14109, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sucharita Giri
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Gopal Dixit
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
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7
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Takatsuka K, Arasaki Y. Real-time electronic energy current and quantum energy flux in molecules. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:244108. [PMID: 36586984 DOI: 10.1063/5.0131200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Intra- and inter-molecular electronic energy current is formulated by defining the probability current of electronic energy, called the energy flux. Among vast possible applications to electronic energy transfer phenomena, including chemical reaction dynamics, here we present a first numerical example from highly excited nonadiabatic electron wavepacket dynamics of a boron cluster B12.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuo Takatsuka
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, 606-8103 Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuki Arasaki
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, 606-8103 Kyoto, Japan
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8
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Flórez-Angarita MF, Pérez-Torres JF. Photoionization of Oriented HD( 1Σ +) Yields Vibrating HD +( 2Σ +) with Charge Breathing and Small Charge Transfer. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:8918-8929. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c05050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - J. F. Pérez-Torres
- Universidad Industrial de Santander, carrera 27 calle 9, 680002Bucaramanga, Colombia
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9
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Gregory M, Neville S, Schuurman M, Makhija V. A laboratory frame density matrix for ultrafast quantum molecular dynamics. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:164301. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0109607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In most cases, the ultrafast dynamics of resonantly excited molecules are considered and almost always computed in the molecular frame, while experiments are carried out in the laboratory frame. Here, we provide a formalism in terms of a lab frame density matrix, which connects quantum dynamics in the molecular frame to those in the laboratory frame, providing a transparent link between computation and measurement. The formalism reveals that in any such experiment, the molecular frame dynamics vary for molecules in different orientations and that certain coherences, which are potentially experimentally accessible, are rejected by the orientation-averaged reduced vibronic density matrix. Instead, molecular angular distribution moments are introduced as a more accurate representation of experimentally accessible information. Furthermore, the formalism provides a clear definition of a molecular frame quantum tomography and specifies the requirements to perform such a measurement enabling the experimental imaging of molecular frame vibronic dynamics. Successful completion of such a measurement fully characterizes the molecular frame quantum dynamics for a molecule at any orientation in the laboratory frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Gregory
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Mary Washington, 1301 College Avenue, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401, USA
| | - Simon Neville
- National Research Council Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Michael Schuurman
- National Research Council Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 150 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Varun Makhija
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Mary Washington, 1301 College Avenue, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401, USA
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10
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Hanasaki K, Takatsuka K. Spin current in chemical reactions. Chem Phys Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2022.139462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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11
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Zhang M, Guo Z, Mi X, Li Z, Liu Y. Ultrafast Imaging of Molecular Dynamics Using Ultrafast Low-Frequency Lasers, X-ray Free Electron Lasers, and Electron Pulses. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:1668-1680. [PMID: 35147438 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c03916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The requirement of high space-time resolution and brightness is a great challenge for imaging atomic motion and making molecular movies. Important breakthroughs in ultrabright tabletop laser, X-ray, and electron sources have enabled the direct imaging of evolving molecular structures in chemical processes, and recent experimental advances in preparing ultrafast laser and electron pulses resulted in molecular imaging with femtosecond time resolution. This Perspective presents an overview of the versatile imaging methods of molecular dynamics. High-order harmonic generation imaging and photoelectron diffraction imaging are based on laser-induced ionization and rescattering processes. Coulomb explosion imaging retrieves molecular structural information by detecting the momentum vectors of fragmented ions. Diffraction imaging encodes molecular structural and electronic information in reciprocal space. We also present various applications of these ultrafast imaging methods in resolving laser-induced nuclear and electronic dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhengning Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiaoyu Mi
- State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zheng Li
- State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
- Yangtze Delta Institute of Optoelectronics, Peking University, Nantong 226010, China
| | - Yunquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
- Center for Applied Physics and Technology, HEDPS, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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12
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Sun S, Yong H, Chen F, Mukamel S. Coherent ring-current migration of Mg-phthalocyanine probed by time-resolved X-ray circular dichroism. Chem Sci 2022; 13:10327-10335. [PMID: 36277617 PMCID: PMC9473530 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc02768b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The coherent ring current of Mg-phthalocyanine created by a broad band UV-visible pump pulse shows variation with time, where the ring currents at the corner benzene rings, around the Mg cation and on the outer ring oscillate with different time periods and the current density migrates among these regions. The 7 pairs of Eu degenerate excited states populated upon photoexcitation, generate 21 distinct coherent ring currents. We further calculate the time-resolved X-ray circular dichroism (TRXCD) spectrum of the coherences contributing to the ring current obtained by an attosecond X-ray probe pulse resonant with the nitrogen K-edge. A frequency domain TRXCD signal obtained by a Fourier transform of the signal with respect to the pump-probe delay time clearly separates the currents induced by different state pairs. The coherent ring current of Mg-phthalocyanine are created by a broad band UV-visible pump pulse and migrate into different regions within the molecule. This coherent ring current dynamics is probed by time-resolved X-ray circular dichroism.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichao Sun
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Haiwang Yong
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Shaul Mukamel
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, USA
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13
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Yong H, Cavaletto SM, Mukamel S. Ultrafast Valence-Electron Dynamics in Oxazole Monitored by X-ray Diffraction Following a Stimulated X-ray Raman Excitation. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:9800-9806. [PMID: 34606289 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Direct imaging of the ultrafast quantum motion of valence electrons in molecules is essential for understanding many elementary chemical and physical processes. We present a simulation study of valence-electron dynamics of oxazole. A valence-state electronic wavepacket is prepared with an attosecond soft X-ray pulse through a stimulated resonant X-ray Raman process and then probed with time-resolved off-resonant single-molecule X-ray diffraction. We find that the time dependent diffraction signal originates solely from the electronic coherences and can be detected by existing experimental techniques. We thus provide a feasible way of imaging electron dynamics in molecules. Moreover, the created electronic coherences and subsequent electron dynamics can be manipulated by the resonant X-ray Raman excitation tuned to different core-excited states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiwang Yong
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Stefano M Cavaletto
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Shaul Mukamel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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14
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Cavaletto SM, Keefer D, Rouxel JR, Aleotti F, Segatta F, Garavelli M, Mukamel S. Unveiling the spatial distribution of molecular coherences at conical intersections by covariance X-ray diffraction signals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2105046118. [PMID: 34050030 PMCID: PMC8179141 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2105046118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The outcomes and timescales of molecular nonadiabatic dynamics are decisively impacted by the quantum coherences generated at localized molecular regions. In time-resolved X-ray diffraction imaging, these coherences create distinct signatures via inelastic photon scattering, but they are buried under much stronger background elastic features. Here, we exploit the rich dynamical information encoded in the inelastic patterns, which we reveal by frequency-dispersed covariance ultrafast powder X-ray diffraction of stochastic X-ray free-electron laser pulses. This is demonstrated for the photoisomerization of azobenzene involving the passage through a conical intersection, where the nuclear wave packet branches and explores different quantum pathways. Snapshots of the coherence dynamics are obtained at high frequency shifts, not accessible with conventional diffraction measurements. These provide access to the timing and to the confined spatial distribution of the valence electrons directly involved in the conical intersection passage. This study can be extended to full three-dimensional imaging of conical intersections with ultrafast X-ray and electron diffraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano M Cavaletto
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Daniel Keefer
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Jérémy R Rouxel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- University Lyon, UJM-Saint-Étienne, CNRS, Graduate School Optics Institute, Laboratoire Hubert Curien UMR 5516, Saint-Étienne 42023, France
| | - Flavia Aleotti
- Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale, Università degli Studi di Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Segatta
- Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale, Università degli Studi di Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Garavelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale, Università degli Studi di Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Shaul Mukamel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697;
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
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15
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Moreno Carrascosa A, Yang M, Yong H, Ma L, Kirrander A, Weber PM, Lopata K. Mapping static core-holes and ring-currents with X-ray scattering. Faraday Discuss 2021; 228:60-81. [PMID: 33605956 DOI: 10.1039/d0fd00124d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Measuring the attosecond movement of electrons in molecules is challenging due to the high temporal and spatial resolutions required. X-ray scattering-based methods are promising, but many questions remain concerning the sensitivity of the scattering signals to changes in density, as well as the means of reconstructing the dynamics from these signals. In this paper, we present simulations of stationary core-holes and electron dynamics following inner-shell ionization of the oxazole molecule. Using a combination of time-dependent density functional theory simulations along with X-ray scattering theory, we demonstrate that the sudden core-hole ionization produces a significant change in the X-ray scattering response and how the electron currents across the molecule should manifest as measurable modulations to the time dependent X-ray scattering signal. This suggests that X-ray scattering is a viable probe for measuring electronic processes at time scales faster than nuclear motion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mengqi Yang
- Department of Chemistry, 232 Choppin Hall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
| | - Haiwang Yong
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Lingyu Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Adam Kirrander
- EaStCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, David Brewster Road, EH9 3FJ Edinburgh, UK
| | - Peter M Weber
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Kenneth Lopata
- Department of Chemistry, 232 Choppin Hall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA and Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, Baton Roug, Louisiana 70803, USA.
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16
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Tremblay JC, Pohl V, Hermann G, Dixit G. Time-resolved imaging of correlation-driven charge migration in light-induced molecular magnets by X-ray scattering. Faraday Discuss 2021; 228:82-103. [PMID: 33564806 DOI: 10.1039/d0fd00116c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this contribution, we investigate the effect of correlation-induced charge migration on the stability of light-induced ring currents, with potential application as molecular magnets. Laser-driven electron dynamics is simulated using density-matrix based time-dependent configuration interaction. The time-dependent many-electron wave packet is used to reconstruct the transient electronic current flux density after excitation of different target states. These reveal ultrafast correlation-driven fluctuations of the charge migration over the molecular scaffold, sometimes leading to large variations of the induced magnetic field. The effect of electron correlation and non-local pure dephasing on the charge migration pattern is further investigated by means of time-resolved X-ray scattering, providing a connection between theoretical predictions of the charge migration mechanism and experimental observables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Christophe Tremblay
- CNRS/Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie Théoriques, 1 Bd Arago, 57070 Metz, France.
| | - Vincent Pohl
- QoD Technologies GmbH, c/o Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 40, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gunter Hermann
- QoD Technologies GmbH, c/o Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 40, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gopal Dixit
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
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Ivanov M. Concluding remarks: The age of molecular movies. Faraday Discuss 2021; 228:622-629. [PMID: 33960352 DOI: 10.1039/d1fd90033a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This Faraday Discussion has demonstrated enormous progress towards using advanced light sources, together with a variety of experimental and theoretical tools and techniques, to film the motion of both electrons and nuclei in molecules undergoing photo-induced reactions. The new tools are beginning to offer reliable opportunities for achieving the required spatio-temporal resolution, all the way to sub-femtosecond and sub-angstrom scales. The age of quantum molecular movies has arrived.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misha Ivanov
- Max Born Institute, Max Born Str. 2A, Berlin, Germany
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18
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Imaging conical intersection dynamics during azobenzene photoisomerization by ultrafast X-ray diffraction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022037118. [PMID: 33436412 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022037118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
X-ray diffraction is routinely used for structure determination of stationary molecular samples. Modern X-ray photon sources, e.g., from free-electron lasers, enable us to add temporal resolution to these scattering events, thereby providing a movie of atomic motions. We simulate and decipher the various contributions to the X-ray diffraction pattern for the femtosecond isomerization of azobenzene, a textbook photochemical process. A wealth of information is encoded besides real-time monitoring of the molecular charge density for the cis to trans isomerization. In particular, vibronic coherences emerge at the conical intersection, contributing to the total diffraction signal by mixed elastic and inelastic photon scattering. They cause distinct phase modulations in momentum space, which directly reflect the real-space phase modulation of the electronic transition density during the nonadiabatic passage. To overcome the masking by the intense elastic scattering contributions from the electronic populations in the total diffraction signal, we discuss how this information can be retrieved, e.g., by employing very hard X-rays to record large scattering momentum transfers.
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19
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Takatsuka K. Electron Dynamics in Molecular Elementary Processes and Chemical Reactions. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2021. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20200388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuo Takatsuka
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8103, Japan
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20
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Electron Symmetry Breaking during Attosecond Charge Migration Induced by Laser Pulses: Point Group Analyses for Quantum Dynamics. Symmetry (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/sym13020205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantum simulations of the electron dynamics of oriented benzene and Mg-porphyrin driven by short (<10 fs) laser pulses yield electron symmetry breaking during attosecond charge migration. Nuclear motions are negligible on this time domain, i.e., the point group symmetries G = D6h and D4h of the nuclear scaffolds are conserved. At the same time, the symmetries of the one-electron densities are broken, however, to specific subgroups of G for the excited superposition states. These subgroups depend on the polarization and on the electric fields of the laser pulses. They can be determined either by inspection of the symmetry elements of the one-electron density which represents charge migration after the laser pulse, or by a new and more efficient group-theoretical approach. The results agree perfectly with each other. They suggest laser control of symmetry breaking. The choice of the target subgroup is restricted, however, by a new theorem, i.e., it must contain the symmetry group of the time-dependent electronic Hamiltonian of the oriented molecule interacting with the laser pulse(s). This theorem can also be applied to confirm or to falsify complementary suggestions of electron symmetry breaking by laser pulses.
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21
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Cavaletto SM, Mukamel S. Probing Delocalized Current Densities in Selenophene by Resonant X-ray Sum-Frequency Generation. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 17:367-375. [PMID: 33275843 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Time-resolved, resonant X-ray sum-frequency generation in aligned selenophene molecules is calculated. A wave packet of valence-excited states, prepared by an extreme-ultraviolet pump pulse, is probed by two 12-keV X-ray probe pulses resonant with the Se core-excited states for variable time delays. At these hard-X-ray frequencies, the angström wavelength of the X-ray probe is comparable to the molecular size. We thus employ a nonlocal description of the light-matter interaction based on the minimal-coupling Hamiltonian. The wavevector-resolved resonant stimulated sum-frequency-generation signal, obtained by varying the propagation direction of hard-X-ray pulses, can thus directly monitor the transition current densities between core and ground/valence states. This is in contrast to off-resonant diffraction, which detects the transition charge densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano M Cavaletto
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Shaul Mukamel
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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Haase D, Manz J, Tremblay JC. Attosecond Charge Migration Can Break Electron Symmetry While Conserving Nuclear Symmetry. J Phys Chem A 2020; 124:3329-3334. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.0c00404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dietrich Haase
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörn Manz
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Jean Christophe Tremblay
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie Théoriques, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, UMR7019, 57070 Metz, France
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