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Updated: Aug 8, 2025
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Measurement of Ultrafast Vibrational Coherences in Polyatomic Radical Cations with Strong-Field Adiabatic Ionization
Published on: August 6, 2018
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Dissociation slowdown by collective optical response under strong coupling conditions.
Maxim Sukharev1, Joseph Subotnik2, Abraham Nitzan2
1College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona 85212, USA.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|March 1, 2023
Summary
We found that driving diatomic molecules in an optical cavity at polaritonic frequencies slows down photodissociation. This transient effect, observed under strong coupling, has no classical analog.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Molecular dynamics
- Physical chemistry
Background:
- Diatomic molecules coupled to optical cavities exhibit unique quantum phenomena.
- Strong coupling conditions are essential for observing cavity-enhanced molecular dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the photodissociation dynamics of diatomic molecules in an optical cavity.
- To explore the influence of polaritonic frequencies on molecular dissociation.
Main Methods:
- Direct numerical integration of coupled Maxwell-Schrödinger equations.
- Explicit consideration of molecular rovibrational degrees of freedom.
- Simulation of systems under strong coupling at normal incidence.
Main Results:
- Photodissociation dynamics are significantly slowed down when driven at polaritonic frequencies.
- The observed slowdown is a transient effect.
- The phenomenon lacks a direct classical analog.
Conclusions:
- Polaritonic frequencies profoundly influence molecular photodissociation in optical cavities.
- The study reveals a non-classical mechanism for controlling molecular dissociation dynamics.
- An intuitive explanation for the dissociation slowdown is provided.
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