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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
Published on: March 13, 2019
Quantum control of unidirectional rotations of a chiral molecular motor
1Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
Abstract:
A quantum control method is presented for designing electric fields of laser pulses to drive a chiral molecular motor in desired, rotational directions. Intuitive or counter-intuitive rotational motion of a chiral motor, 2-chloro-5-methyl-cyclopenta-2,4-dienecarbaldehyde, was controlled by electric fields of ps-laser pulses with mid-infrared central frequencies. The control mechanism is discussed by analyzing the time- and frequency-resolved spectrum of the electric fields of the laser pulses. Timing of laser pulses is the essential factor for controlling unidirectional motions.
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