Charge migration engineered by localisation: electron-nuclear dynamics in polyenes and glycine
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We demonstrate that charge migration can be ‘engineered’ in arbitrary molecular systems if a single localised orbital – that diabatically follows nuclear displacements – is ionised. Specifically, we describe the use of natural bonding orbitals in Complete Active Space Configuration Interaction (CASCI) calculations to form cationic states with localised charge, providing consistently well-defined initial conditions across a zero point energy vibrational ensemble of molecular geometries. In Ehrenfest dynamics simulations following localised ionisation of -electrons in model polyenes (hexatriene and decapentaene) and -electrons in glycine, oscillatory charge migration can be observed for several femtoseconds before dephasing. Including nuclear motion leads to slower dephasing compared to fixed-geometry electron-only dynamics results. For future work, we discuss the possibility of designing laser pulses that would lead to charge migration that is experimentally observable, based on the proposed diabatic orbital approach.
Date Issued
2018-06-01
Date Acceptance
2018-05-11
Citation
Molecular Physics, 2018, 116 (19-20), pp.2474-2489
ISSN
0026-8976
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Start Page
2474
End Page
2489
Journal / Book Title
Molecular Physics
Volume
116
Issue
19-20
Copyright Statement
© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Grant Number
EP/I032517/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Chemistry, Physical
Physics, Atomic, Molecular & Chemical
Chemistry
Physics
Ehrenfest method
coupled electron-nuclear dynamics
charge migration
localised orbitals
ATTOSECOND PULSES
WAVE-FUNCTIONS
IONIZATION
TIME
Chemical Physics
0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics
0306 Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural)
0307 Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-06-01