Strong Field Chemistry: Control Using the Radical Cation Launch State

在这个由化学系化学结构，动力学和机制（CSDM-A）计划资助的奖项中，天普大学的Robert Levis教授和他的研究生和本科生研究人员正在进行实验和计算研究，以研究超快激光激发的原型分子的化学反应性。Levis教授和他的团队正试图了解分子的反应性，这些分子的结构使它们接近所谓的？圆锥形交叉？这些锥形交叉点在许多化学背景中普遍存在，但除了最简单的化学系统外，它们仍然很难理解。这些研究应该有助于科学家更好地理解一类重要的化学反应。从事该项目的学生研究人员在实验和计算物理化学方面接受了良好的培训。该项目得益于与坦普尔大学计算化学家Spiridoula Matsika博士的合作。Levis教授和他的研究小组正在进行一系列实验和模拟研究，研究气相烷基苯酮在强场激发下的行为。具体的实验包括：（1）用强场质谱法研究一系列烷基苯酮分子的光谱，作为激发脉冲波长的函数;（2）研究预电离分子的控制，以促进更高保真的化学控制;（3）利用自由基阳离子发射态和强场对势能面进行修饰和Stark位移，研究了烷基苯酮在圆锥交叉点附近的动力学;（4）强激光场与多原子分子相互作用的计算研究，以模拟实验观测。从事该项目的学生接受化学物理方面的优秀培训，使他们成为全球技术劳动力的成员。

In this award, funded by the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms (CSDM-A) Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professor Robert Levis of Temple University and his graduate and undergraduate student researchers are doing experimental and computational studies to study the chemical reactivity of prototype molecules excited by ultrafast lasers. Prof. Levis and his group are attempting to understand the reactivity of molecules whose structures place them near so-called ?conical intersections?. These conical intersections are ubiquitous in a wide number of chemical contexts, but they remain poorly-understood except for the simplest chemical systems. These studies should help scientists better understand an important class of chemical reactions. Student researchers working on this project receive excellent training in experimental and computational physical chemistry. This project benefits from the collaboration with Dr. Spiridoula Matsika, a computational chemist at Temple University. Prof. Levis and his research group are conducting a series of experimental and modeling studies of the behavior of gas-phase alkylphenones undergoing strong-field excitation. The specific experiments to be carried out include: (1) spectroscopic studies of a series of alkylphenone molecules with strong-field mass spectrometry as a function of the wavelength of the excitation pulse; (2) investigations of the control of pre-ionized molecules to facilitate higher fidelity chemical control; (3) studies of the dynamics of alkylphenones in the vicinity of conical intersections using the radical cation launch state and strong fields to dress and Stark shift the pertinent potential surfaces; and (4) computational studies of the interaction of strong laser fields with polyatomic molecules to model the observations of experiment. Students working on this project receive excellent training in chemical physics that prepares them to become globally-engaged members of the technical workforce.