paper

Perturbative Treatment of Quantum to Classical Transition in Chiral Molecules: Dilute Phase vs. Condensed Phase

arXiv:1701.00535 · doi:10.1088/1361-6455/aa5115

Abstract

We examine the dynamics of chiral states of chiral molecules with high tunneling rates in dilute and condensed phases in the context of time-dependent perturbation theory. The chiral molecule is effectively described by an asymmetric double-well potential, whose asymmetry is a measure of chiral interactions. The dilute and condensed phases are conjointly described by a collection of harmonic oscillators but respectively with temperature-dependent sub-ohmic and temperature-independent ohmic spectral densities. We examine our method quantitatively by applying the dynamics to isotopic ammonia molecule, NHDT, in an inert background gas (as the dilute phase) and in water (as the condensed phase). As different spectral densities implies, the extension of the dynamics from the dilute phase to the condensed phase is not trivial. While the dynamics in the dilute phase leads to racemization, the chiral interactions in the condensed phase induce the quantum Zeno effect. Moreover, contrary to the condensed phase, the short-time dynamics in the dilute phase is sensitive to the initial state of the chiral molecule and to the strength of the coupling between the molecule and the environment.

arXiv comment11 pages, 4 figures

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