RichMol: A general variational approach for rovibrational molecular dynamics in external electric fields

Methane dimer rovibrational states and Raman transition moments

Benchmark-quality rovibrational data are reported for the methane dimer from variational nuclear motion computations using an ab initio intermolecular potential energy surface reported by [M. P. Metz et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, 13504-13525]. A simple polarizability model is used to compute Raman transition moments that may be relevant for future direct observation of the intermolecular dynamics. Non-negligible ΔK ≠ 0 transition moments arise in this symmetric top system due to strong rovibrational couplings.

Exact quantum dynamics developments for floppy molecular systems and complexes

Molecular rotation, vibration, internal rotation, isomerization, tunneling, intermolecular dynamics of weakly and strongly interacting systems, intra-to-inter-molecular energy transfer, hindered rotation and hindered translation over surfaces are important types of molecular motions. Their fundamentally correct and detailed description can be obtained by solving the nuclear Schrödinger equation on a potential energy surface. Many of the chemically interesting processes involve quantum nuclear motions which are 'delocalized' over multiple potential energy wells. These 'large-amplitude' motions in addition to the high dimensionality of the vibrational problem represent challenges to the current (ro)vibrational methodology. A review of the quantum nuclear motion methodology is provided, current bottlenecks of solving the nuclear Schrödinger equation are identified, and solution strategies are reviewed. Technical details, computational results, and analysis of these results in terms of limiting models and spectroscopically relevant concepts are highlighted for selected numerical examples.

The nuclear-spin-forbidden rovibrational transitions of water from first principles

The water molecule occurs in two nuclear-spin isomers that differ by the value of the total nuclear spin of the hydrogen atoms, i.e., I = 0 for para-H2O and I = 1 for ortho-H2O. Spectroscopic transitions between rovibrational states of ortho and para water are extremely weak due to the tiny hyperfine nuclear-spin –rotation interaction of only ∼30 kHz and, so far, have not been observed. We report the first comprehensive theoretical investigation of the hyperfine effects and ortho–para transitions in [Formula: see text]O due to nuclear-spin –rotation and spin–spin interactions. We also present the details of our newly developed general variational approach to the simulation of hyperfine effects in polyatomic molecules. Our results for water suggest that the strongest ortho–para transitions with room-temperature intensities on the order of 10−31 cm/molecule are about an order of magnitude larger than previously predicted values and should be detectable in the mid-infrared ν2 and near-infrared 2 ν1 + ν2 and ν1 + ν2 + ν3 bands by current spectroscopy experiments.

Picosecond pulse-shaping for strong three-dimensional field-free alignment of generic asymmetric-top molecules

Fixing molecules in space is a crucial step for the imaging of molecular structure and dynamics. Here, we demonstrate three-dimensional (3D) field-free alignment of the prototypical asymmetric top molecule indole using elliptically polarized, shaped, off-resonant laser pulses. A truncated laser pulse is produced using a combination of extreme linear chirping and controlled phase and amplitude shaping using a spatial-light-modulator (SLM) based pulse shaper of a broadband laser pulse. The angular confinement is detected through velocity-map imaging of H⁺ and C²⁺ fragments resulting from strong-field ionization and Coulomb explosion of the aligned molecules by intense femtosecond laser pulses. The achieved three-dimensional alignment is characterized by comparing the result of ion-velocity-map measurements for different alignment directions and for different times during and after the alignment laser pulse to accurate computational results. The achieved strong three-dimensional field-free alignment of [Formula: see text] demonstrates the feasibility of both, strong three-dimensional alignment of generic complex molecules and its quantitative characterization.

Performance of a black-box-type rovibrational method in comparison with a tailor-made approach: Case study for the methane-water dimer

The present work intends to join and respond to the excellent and thoroughly documented rovibrational study of X. G. Wang and T. Carrington, Jr. [J. Chem. Phys. 154, 124112 (2021)] that used an approach tailored for floppy dimers with an analytic dimer Hamiltonian and a non-product basis set including Wigner D functions. It is shown in the present work that the GENIUSH black-box-type rovibrational method can approach the performance of the tailor-made computation for the example of the floppy methane-water dimer. Rovibrational transition energies and intensities are obtained in the black-box-type computation with a twice as large basis set and in excellent numerical agreement in comparison with the more efficient tailor-made approach.

Electric quadrupole transitions in carbon dioxide

Recent advances in high sensitivity spectroscopy have made it possible, in combination with accurate theoretical predictions, to observe, for the first time, very weak electric quadrupole transitions in a polar polyatomic molecule of water. Here, we present accurate theoretical predictions of the complete quadrupole rovibrational spectrum of a non-polar molecule CO₂, important in atmospheric and astrophysical applications. Our predictions are validated by recent cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy measurements and are used to assign few weak features in the recent ExoMars Atmospheric Chemistry Suite mid-infrared spectroscopic observations of the Martian atmosphere. Predicted quadrupole transitions appear in some of the mid-infrared CO₂ and water vapor transparency regions, making them important for detection and characterization of the minor absorbers in water- and CO₂-rich environments, such as those present in the atmospheres of Earth, Venus, and Mars.

Treating linear molecules in calculations of rotation-vibration spectra

In this article, a numerical implementation of the exact kinetic energy operator (KEO) for triatomic molecules (symmetric of XY₂-type and asymmetric of YXZ-type) is presented. The implementation is based on the valence coordinates with the bisecting (XY₂-type molecules) and bond-vector (YXZ) embeddings and includes the treatment of the singularity at linear geometry. The KEO is represented in a sum-of-product form. The singularity caused by the undetermined angle at the linear configuration is resolved with the help of the associated Legendre and Laguerre polynomials used as parameterized bending basis functions in the finite basis set representation. The exact KEO implementation is combined with the variational solver theoretical rovibrational energies, equipped with a general automatic symmetry-adaptation procedure and efficient basis step contraction schemes, providing a powerful computational solver of triatomic molecules for accurate computations of highly excited ro-vibrational spectra. The advantages of different basis set choices are discussed. Examples of specific applications for computing hot spectra of linear molecules are given.

Detection of electric-quadrupole transitions in water vapour near 5.4 and 2.5 μm

Nowadays, the spectroscopic databases used for the modeling of Earth and planetary atmospheres provide only electric-dipole transitions for polyatomic molecules (H2O, CO2, N2O, CH4, O3…). Very recently, electric-quadrupole transitions have been detected in the high sensitivity cavity ring down spectrum (CRDS) of water vapour near 1.3 μm [A. Campargue et al., Phys. Rev. Res., 2020, 2, 023091, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.023091]. This discovery paved the way to systematic searches of quadrupole transitions in water vapor and other polyatomic molecules. In the present work, on the basis of high accuracy ab initio predictions, H216O quadrupole lines are detected for the first time in the 5.4 μm and 2.5 μm regions where they are predicted to have their largest intensities (up to 10-26 cm per molecule). A total of twelve quadrupole lines are identified in two high sensitivity Fourier transform spectra recorded with a 1064 m path length. Ten lines in the 4030-4150 cm-1 region are assigned to the ν3 band while the lines near 1820 and 1926 cm-1 belong to the ν2 band. The derived line intensities which are largely above the dipole intensity cut-off of the standard spectroscopic databases, agree nicely with the theoretical predictions. We thus conclude that the calculated line list of quadrupole transitions, validated by the present measurements, should be incorporated in the spectroscopic databases.

The Effect of Nuclear-Quadrupole Coupling in the Laser-Induced Alignment of Molecules

We present a theoretical study of the time-dependent laser alignment of molecules taking into account the hyperfine coupling due to nuclear-quadrupole interactions. The coupling of nuclear spins to the overall angular momentum of molecules significantly influences their rotational dynamics. Here, we systematically analyze the impact of the nuclear-quadrupole coupling on the rotational dynamics of the linear and the asymmetric-top diiodobenzene molecule induced by external laser fields. We explore different regimes of pulse shapes and laser-pulse intensities and detail under which conditions the quadrupole coupling cannot be neglected in the description of the laser alignment of molecules.

Field-Induced Diastereomers for Chiral Separation

A novel approach for the state-specific enantiomeric enrichment and the spatial separation of enantiomers is presented. Our scheme utilizes techniques from strong-field laser physics-specifically an optical centrifuge in conjunction with a static electric field-to create a chiral field with defined handedness. Molecular enantiomers experience unique rotational excitation dynamics, and this can be exploited to spatially separate the enantiomers using electrostatic deflection. Notably, the rotational-state-specific enantiomeric enhancement and its handedness are fully controllable. To explain these effects, the conceptual framework of field-induced diastereomers of a chiral molecule is introduced and computationally demonstrated through robust quantum-mechanical simulations on the prototypical chiral molecule propylene oxide (C_{3}H_{6}O), for which ensembles with an enantiomeric excess of up to 30% were obtained.

Climbing the Rotational Ladder to Chirality

Molecular chirality is conventionally understood as space-inversion-symmetry breaking in the equilibrium structure of molecules. Less well known is that achiral molecules can be made chiral through extreme rotational excitation. Here, we theoretically demonstrate a clear strategy for generating rotationally induced chirality: An optical centrifuge rotationally excites the phosphine molecule (PH_{3}) into chiral cluster states that correspond to clockwise (R enantiomer) or anticlockwise (L enantiomer) rotation about axes almost coinciding with single P─H bonds. The application of a strong dc electric field during the centrifuge pulse favors the production of one rotating enantiomeric form over the other, creating dynamically chiral molecules with permanently oriented rotational angular momentum. This essential step toward characterizing rotationally induced chirality promises a fresh perspective on chirality as a fundamental aspect of nature.

Coherent Control of the Rotation Axis of Molecular Superrotors

The control of ultrafast molecular rotational motion has benefited from the development of innovative techniques in strong-field laser physics. Here, we theoretically demonstrate a novel type of coherent control by inducing rotation of an asymmetric-top molecule about two different molecular axes. An optical centrifuge is applied to the hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) molecule to create a molecular superrotor, an object performing ultrafast rotation about a well-defined axis. Using two distinct pulse envelopes for the optical centrifuge, we show that H₂S can be excited along separate pathways of rotational states. This leads to stable rotation about two entirely different molecular axes while ensuring rotation is about the propagation direction of the centrifuge, i.e., the laboratory-fixed Z-axis. The presented scheme to control the angular momentum alignment of a molecule will, for instance, be useful in studies of molecule-molecule or molecule-surface scattering, especially due to the large amounts of energy associated with superrotors, which can even be controlled by changing the duration of the optical centrifuge pulse.