SFB 1319: Extreme light for sensing and driving molecular chirality (ELCH)

分子手性--一个分子的左撇子和右撇子拥有几乎所有的物理性质，但在化学和生物行为上却截然不同--给自然科学带来了智力上的挑战。例如，分子手性与生命的组成部分相关，在医学和健康方面发挥着至关重要的作用。我们的《儿童权利公约》侧重于一个不同但同样基本的方面。有了ELCH，我们建立了一个研究中心，目标是对气相中的手性分子进行微观和量子力学的理解。为此，最先进的实验和理论原子分子物理工具，以及量子光学(AMO)被用来在孤立的单分子水平上控制和驱动手性。利用电磁辐射，我们解决了由电子和核组成的整个分子系统，并为手性分子物理提供了独特的光驱动气相实验室。在fi的第一次资助期间，ELCH已经促成了40多项合作，这些合作已经导致了朝着四个长期目标取得的几项重要成就：(I)部分库仑爆炸与光电子衍射的结合是在确定绝对构型方面的突破，允许以更大的分子为目标。(2)作为确定对映体过量的一套先进仪器的一部分，实现了一种基于激光的高分辨率方法。它适用于混合物和异构体，并可能改变化学家的常规仪器。(Iii)外消旋体的对映体选择性激发是手性纯化的关键前提，一个开创性的实验演示得到了一个实现完全选择性的理论建议的补充。(Iv)使用RAF原型演示了短寿命放射性分子的激光光谱，这为基础物理实验开辟了新的视角，因为手性分子中破坏宇称的相互作用的强度随着原子序数的增加而急剧增加。除了我们的科学目标外，我们在这个CRC中追求另外三个关键目标。我们的战略目标是加强卡塞尔和参与机构的AMO物理学。在第二个资助期，卡塞尔的核心AMO能力因两个新项目而得到加强--一个基于最近W2的任命，另一个培养年轻研究人员的独立性。我们的教育目标是在一个高度活跃的AMO科学领域为学生和博士后提供尽可能好的培训。为了让学生对自然科学感兴趣，我们将实施一项转移项目，为学校开发现代教材，在全国范围内分发。我们的性别平等目标利用了卡塞尔大学和我们的伙伴机构的现有基础设施，这些基础设施已经处于较高水平，并通过特定于物理学的组成部分来证实这一目标。

Molecular chirality – the fact that left-handed and right-handed versions of a molecule share almost all of their physical properties yet differ dramatically in their chemical and biological behavior – poses intellectual challenges across the natural sciences. For example, molecular chirality is relevant to the building blocks of life and plays a vital role in medicine and health. Our CRC focuses on a different yet equally fundamental aspect. With ELCH, we have established a center of research targeting a microscopic and quantum me-chanical understanding of chiral molecules in the gas phase. To this end, the most advanced tools of experimental and theoretical atomic and molecular physics, as well as quantum optics (AMO), are used to control and drive chirality at the isolated single-molecule level. Using electromagnetic radiation, we address the entire molecular system consisting of electrons and nuclei and provide a unique light-driven gas-phase laboratory for chiral molecular physics. In the first funding period, ELCH has fostered more than 40 collaborations, which have resulted in several important achievements towards four long-term goals: (i) Combination of partial Coulomb explosion with photo-electron diffraction is a breakthrough towards the determination of absolute configuration, allowing to target larger molecules. (ii) A high-resolution laser-based method has been realized as part of a set of advanced instruments for the determination of enantiomeric excess. It is applicable to mixtures and con-formers and may change the routine instrumentation for chemists. (iii) Enantiomer-selective excitation of a racemate is a key prerequisite for chiral purification, and a seminal experimental demonstration has been complemented by a theoretical proposal for achieving complete selectivity. (iv) Demonstration of laser spectroscopy of short-lived radioactive molecules using the RaF prototype opens new perspectives for fundamental physics experiments since parity-violating interactions in chiral molecules increase steeply in strength with the atomic number.Besides our scientific aims, we pursue three further key goals within this CRC. Our strategic goal is to strengthen AMO physics in Kassel and at the participating institutions. For the second funding period, the core AMO competence in Kassel is reinforced by two new projects – one based on a recent W2 appoint-ment and one fostering independence of a young researcher. Our educational goal is to provide the best possible training for students and PostDocs in a highly dynamic area of AMO science. To fascinate pupils and draw them to the natural sciences, we will implement a transfer project to develop modern teaching material for schools to be distributed nationwide. Our gender equality goal takes advantage of the existing infrastructure at Universität Kassel and our partner institutions, already at a high level, and substantiates it by physics-specific components.