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

It is demonstrated that strong laser pulses can introduce torsional motion in the axially chiral molecule 3,5-difluoro-3('),5(')-dibromobiphenyl. A nanosecond laser pulse spatially aligns the stereogenic carbon-carbon (C-C) bond axis allowing a perpendicularly polarized, intense femtosecon...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Journal of chemical physics Vol. 130; no. 23; p. 234310
Main Authors Madsen, C B, Madsen, L B, Viftrup, S S, Johansson, M P, Poulsen, T B, Holmegaard, L, Kumarappan, V, Jørgensen, K A, Stapelfeldt, H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 21.06.2009
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Summary:It is demonstrated that strong laser pulses can introduce torsional motion in the axially chiral molecule 3,5-difluoro-3('),5(')-dibromobiphenyl. 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 deracemization and laser controlled molecular junctions based on molecules with torsion.
ISSN:1089-7690
DOI:10.1063/1.3149789