Ultrafast Strong-Field Control of Coherence and Entanglement in Atoms and Molecules

Bucksbaum小组的研究重点是调查和控制分子内部电子和原子的快速运动。 他们使用原子强度的激光脉冲施加精确的外力，持续时间短到足以中断和引导粒子运动。主要目标是了解和控制这些粒子的行为，这些粒子的运动对分子化学至关重要，在生物医学、燃料生产和能量储存中也很重要。这种内部运动的特殊量子特征，包括隧穿、相干和纠缠，有助于光合作用、光伏能量转换和电池性能的关键方面。通过研究像水这样的简单分子，研究人员可以使用强大的激光场在极短的时间尺度上探索量子物理的迷人特性。 从这项研究中获得的知识也可能对大气和海洋化学中受光影响的水和小有机物的相互作用产生影响。质子和电子在许多物理和化学过程中起着关键作用。通过使用强烈的飞秒聚焦和成形激光场，这些研究人员可以在飞秒和亚飞秒时间尺度上测量和操纵粒子运动，以绘制和改变分子变化的路径。在这个自然时间尺度上对质子和电子运动的研究是量子控制科学的前沿，有可能推动物理学、化学和生物学的知识和应用。了解分子内的运动路径是一项挑战，因为所有的成分都可以同时运动并相互影响。这种复杂的行为存在于高维相空间中，使其难以可视化，并且充满了发生化学变化的特殊点，例如键形成或增强电离。量子力学通过引入新的性质，如粒子行为像波，同时占据多个状态，类似于“薛定谔猫”，使这一问题进一步复杂化。“强激光可以探测和控制这些特殊点的物质，增强化学变化，产生相干或纠缠，甚至发现全新的反应途径。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Bucksbaum group’s research focuses on investigating and controlling the rapid motion of the electrons and atoms that are inside molecules. They apply precise external forces using laser pulses of atomic-strength and durations short enough to interrupt and guide the particle movements. The main objective is to understand and control the behavior of these particles, whose movements are essential for molecular chemistry, and also important in biomedicine, fuel production, and energy storage. Special quantum features of this internal motion, including tunneling, coherence, and entanglement, contribute to key aspects of photosynthesis, photovoltaic energy conversion, and battery performance. By studying simple molecules like water, the researchers can explore the fascinating properties of quantum physics on extremely short time scales using powerful laser fields. The knowledge gained from this research can also have implications for interactions involving water and small organics that are influenced by light in atmospheric and oceanic chemistry.Protons and electrons play crucial roles in many physical and chemical processes. By using intense femtosecond focused and shaped laser fields, these researchers can measure and manipulate particle motion on femtosecond and sub-femtosecond time scales, to map out and alter the pathways of molecular changes. The study of proton and electron motion on this natural time scale is at the forefront of quantum control science and has the potential to advance knowledge and applications in physics, chemistry, and biology. Understanding the pathways of motion within molecules is challenging because all the constituents can move simultaneously and influence one another. This complex behavior exists in a high-dimensional phase space, making it difficult to visualize and filled with special points where chemical changes occur, such as bond formation or enhanced ionization. Quantum mechanics further complicates this by introducing new properties, such as particles behaving like waves and occupying multiple states simultaneously, akin to "Schrodinger Cats." Strong lasers can detect and control matter at these special points, to enhance chemical changes, create coherence or entanglement, and even discover entirely new reaction pathways.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.