Quantum control of chemical reaction dynamics in a classical way

Topology of classical molecular optimal control landscapes for multi-target objectives

This paper considers laser-driven optimal control of an ensemble of non-interacting molecules whose dynamics lie in classical phase space. The molecules evolve independently under control to distinct final states. We consider a control landscape defined in terms of multi-target (MT) molecular states and analyze the landscape as a functional of the control field. The topology of the MT control landscape is assessed through its gradient and Hessian with respect to the control. Under particular assumptions, the MT control landscape is found to be free of traps that could hinder reaching the objective. The Hessian associated with an optimal control field is shown to have finite rank, indicating an inherent degree of robustness to control noise. Both the absence of traps and rank of the Hessian are shown to be analogous to the situation of specifying multiple targets for an ensemble of quantum states. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the classical landscape principles and further characterize the system behavior as the control field is optimized.

Laser-driven isomerization of HCN → HNC: the importance of rotational excitation

We report a time-dependent quantum wave packet theory, which is employed to interpret the isomerization dynamics of HCN molecules induced by an intense picosecond infrared laser field. Considering the molecular rotational degrees of the freedom, the wave functions are expanded in terms of molecular rotational bases. Our full-dimensional quantum model includes the full Coriolis coupling in the molecular kinetic energy Hamiltonian and dipole approximation in interaction terms. The numerical results show that the field-induced molecule rotational excitation plays an important role in the isomerization dynamical process. Some phenomena appear such as two-step two-photon absorption and highly oscillatory structure in rotational state distributions. The centrifugal sudden (CS) approximation calculation is also carried out and compared in this work; it is shown that the Coriolis couplings may lead to a significant decrease in the isomerization rate but highly enhanced molecular rotational excitation.

Quantum Localization of Coherent π-Electron Angular Momentum in (P)-2,2'-Biphenol

Controlling π-electrons with delocalized character is one of the fundamental issues in femtosecond and attosecond chemistry. Localization of π-electron rotation by using laser pulses is expected to play an essential role in nanoscience. The π-electron rotation created at a selected aromatic ring of a single molecule induces a local intense electromagnetic field, which is a new type of ultrafast optical control functioning. We propose a quantum localization of coherent π-electron angular momentum in (P)-2,2'-biphenol, which is a simple, covalently linked chiral aromatic ring chain molecule. The localization considered here consists of sequential two steps: the first step is to localize the π-electron angular momentum at a selected ring of the two benzene rings, and the other is to maintain the localization. Optimal control theory was used for obtaining the optimized electric fields of linearly polarized laser pulses to realize the localization. The optimal electric fields and the resultant coherent electronic dynamics are analyzed.

Topology of classical molecular optimal control landscapes in phase space

Optimal control of molecular dynamics is commonly expressed from a quantum mechanical perspective. However, in most contexts the preponderance of molecular dynamics studies utilize classical mechanical models. This paper treats laser-driven optimal control of molecular dynamics in a classical framework. We consider the objective of steering a molecular system from an initial point in phase space to a target point, subject to the dynamic constraint of Hamilton's equations. The classical control landscape corresponding to this objective is a functional of the control field, and the topology of the landscape is analyzed through its gradient and Hessian with respect to the control. Under specific assumptions on the regularity of the control fields, the classical control landscape is found to be free of traps that could hinder reaching the objective. The Hessian associated with an optimal control field is shown to have finite rank, indicating the presence of an inherent degree of robustness to control noise. Extensive numerical simulations are performed to illustrate the theoretical principles on (a) a model diatomic molecule, (b) two coupled Morse oscillators, and (c) a chaotic system with a coupled quartic oscillator, confirming the absence of traps in the classical control landscape. We compare the classical formulation with the mathematically analogous quantum state-to-state transition probability control landscape.

Controlled subnanosecond isomerization of HCN to CNH in solution

We report a study of control of the HCN-->CNH isomerization in a liquid Ar solution. We show, using molecular dynamics simulations, nearly complete conversion from HCN to CNH can be achieved in solution on the subnanosecond time scale without requiring laser pulse shaping or molecular alignment. The mechanism of the isomerization reaction involves multiphoton rovibrational excitation on the ground electronic state potential energy surface coupled with rapid rovibrational relaxation in solution. The results demonstrate the important role of rotation-vibration coupling in multiphoton excitation of small molecules and constitute the first realistic computational demonstration of fast, robust, and high-yield laser field manipulation of solution-phase molecular processes.

Isomerization and dissociation dynamics of HCN in a picosecond infrared laser field: A full-dimensional classical study

We report a full-dimensional study of the classical dynamics of HCN-->HNC isomerization and of HCN rovibrational dissociation driven by a strong but nonionizing picosecond infrared laser field. The dynamics of the isolated molecule and of the molecule in liquid Ar have both been studied. Our theoretical and numerical results show that when all degrees of freedom are accounted for the field induced molecular dynamics can be totally different from what was found in previous studies, where the HCN molecule is restricted to a plane containing the external field. It is shown that as HCN is driven by an infrared laser field, the rotation of the H atom around the C-N bond provides an important and highly efficient energy absorption mechanism. In the presence of a monochromatic picosecond infrared laser field with an intensity of 10(13) W/cm(2), this energy absorption mechanism generates considerable HCN-->HNC isomerization yield or high rovibrational dissociation yield without molecular preorientation or prealignment. Our study of the field induced isomerization and dissociation dynamics of the same system in liquid Ar shows that the picosecond isomerization dynamics is insignificantly affected by the surrounding atomic liquid whereas the dissociation yield may be greatly suppressed in a high density liquid. The implications of this study for full-dimensional quantum dynamics of multiphoton rovibrational excitation and dissociation of triatomics are briefly discussed.

Quantum control of molecular chirality: optical isomerization of difluorobenzo[c]phenanthrene

The results of a theoretical study are presented on quantum control of a chiral exchange reaction of a polyatomic molecule by using infrared laser pulses. Difluorobenzo[c]phenanthrene was chosen to be the simplest model for its helical chirality exchange reaction. This molecule has two stable configurations: M and P forms. From the viewpoint of chemical reaction dynamics, isomerization is regarded as the movement of one of the two representative points that initially correspond to the two forms to the position of the other representative point, while the other representative point remains in its initial position. The ground-state potential energy surface and dipole moment functions required to control this reaction were evaluated at the MP2/6-31+G(d,p) and MP2/TZV+(d,p) levels of molecular orbital (MO) theory. An effective potential energy surface (PES) that is a function of twisting motion of the benzene rings and wagging motion of the CF(2) group was constructed on the basis of the MO results. An analytical expression for the effective PES and that for the dipole moment functions were prepared to make the isomerization control tractable. A quantum control method in a classical way was applied to the isomerization of preoriented difluorobenzo[c]phenanthrene in low temperature limits. The time evolution of the representative point of the M form and that of the P form are separately evaluated to determine the optimal laser fields. This means that the laser control produces pure helical enantiomers from a racemic mixture. Representative points are replaced by the corresponding nuclear wave packets in this treatment. The derived control laser field consists of two linearly polarized E(x)() and E(z)() components that are perpendicular to each other. These components are pi-phase-shifted when the representative point is in the transition-state regions. Under the irradiation of this laser pulse, one of the two representative points of the isomerization is transferred to the target position along the intrinsic reaction path between the enantiomers, while the other representative point remains in its initial potential well. This results in one-way isomerization control, that is, the M(P) to P(M) form. The isomerization is completed with yields of ca. 70% within a few picoseconds. Temporal behaviors of the nuclear wave packet whose center corresponds to the representative point are drawn to see how the desired chiral exchange reaction proceeds in the presence of the control field, while its reverse process is suppressed.