Quantum anomaly in molecular physics

The interaction of an electron with a polar molecule is shown to be the simplest realization of a quantum anomaly in a physical system. The existence of a critical dipole moment for electron capture and formation of anions, which has been confirmed experimentally and numerically, is derived. This ph...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review letters Vol. 87; no. 22; p. 220402
Main Authors Camblong, H E, Epele, L N, Fanchiotti, H, García Canal, C A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 26.11.2001
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Summary:The interaction of an electron with a polar molecule is shown to be the simplest realization of a quantum anomaly in a physical system. The existence of a critical dipole moment for electron capture and formation of anions, which has been confirmed experimentally and numerically, is derived. This phenomenon is a manifestation of the anomaly associated with quantum symmetry breaking of the classical scale invariance exhibited by the point-dipole interaction. Finally, analysis of symmetry breaking for this system is implemented within two different models: point dipole subject to an anomaly and finite dipole subject to explicit symmetry breaking.
ISSN:0031-9007
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.220402