Raman free-induction-decay measurements in low viscosity and supercooled toluene: Vibrational dephasing by shear fluctuations

Vibrational Dephasing along the Reaction Coordinate of an Electron Transfer Reaction

The role of molecular vibration in photoinduced electron transfer (ET) reactions has been extensively debated in recent years. In this study, we investigated vibrational wavepacket dynamics in a model ET system consisting of an organic dye molecule as an electron acceptor dissolved in various electron donating solvents. By using broad band pump-probe (BBPP) spectroscopy with visible laser pulses of sub-10 fs duration, coherent vibrational wavepackets of naphthacene dye with frequencies spanning 170-1600 cm-1 were observed in the time domain. The coherence properties of 11 vibrational modes were analyzed by an inverse Fourier filtering procedure, and we discovered that the dephasing times of some vibrational coherences are reduced with increasing ET rates. Density functional theory calculations indicated that the corresponding vibrational modes have a large Huang-Rhys factor between the reactant and the product states, supporting the hypothesis that the loss of phase coherence along certain vibrational modes elucidates that those vibrations are coupled to the reaction coordinate of an ET reaction.

Optimized continuum from a photonic crystal fiber for broadband time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering

We demonstrate an optimization of continuum generation in a commercially available photonic crystal fiber and show that this continuum can be used to simultaneously measure vibrational dephasing times over an unprecedented frequency range of Raman modes. The dephasing time measurement is based on 2-pulse 3-color coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), and requires a continuum pulse that is coherent over a broad spectral bandwidth. We demonstrate that a continuum with the required characteristics can be generated from a photonic crystal fiber by appropriately conditioning the chirp of the excitation pulse and controlling its pulse energy. We are able to simultaneously measure vibrational dephasing times of multiple Raman modes (covering 500 cm(-1) to 3100 cm(-1)) of acetonitrile and benzonitrile using the optimized continuum with broadband time-resolved CARS.