A combined experimental and theoretical study on realizing and using laser controlled torsion of molecules

Abstract

It is demonstrated that strong laser pulses can introduce torsional motion in the axially chiral molecule 3,5-diflouro-3',5'-dibromo-biphenyl (DFDBrBPh). A nanosecond laser pulse spatially aligns the stereogenic carbon-carbon (C-C) bond axis allowing a perpendicularly polarized, intense femtosecond pulse to initiate torsional motion accompanied by a rotation about the fixed axis. We monitor the induced motion by femtosecond time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging. Our theoretical analysis corroborates the experimental findings and on the basis of these results we discuss future applications of laser induced torsion, viz., time-resolved studies of de-racemization and laser controlled molecular junctions based on molecules with torsion.

10 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables; submitted to J. Chem. Phys.;

References in corpus (5)

• Laser-induced alignment and orientation of quantum-state-selected large molecules
• Coherent electron transport through an azobenzene molecule: A light-driven molecular switch
• Tuning the conductance of a molecular switch
• Manipulating the torsion of molecules by strong laser pulses
• Vibronic effects on resonant electron conduction through single molecule junctions

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Quantum control of molecular rotation
• Manipulation of Molecules with Electromagnetic Fields
• Control and femtosecond time-resolved imaging of torsion in a chiral molecule
• Ionization of 1D and 3D oriented asymmetric top molecules by intense circularly polarized femtosecond laser pulses
• Motor effect in electron transport through a molecular junction with torsional vibrations
• Topology of surfaces for molecular Stark energy, alignment and orientation generated by combined permanent and induced electric dipole interactions
• Supersymmetry and eigensurface topology of the spherical quantum pendulum
• Directional properties of polar paramagnetic molecules subject to congruent electric, magnetic and optical fields
• Torsional and rotational coupling in non-rigid molecules
• Electron-transport properties of ethyne-bridged diphenyl zinc-porphyrin molecules