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

原子和分子相干和纠缠的超快强场控制

• 批准号: 2309238
• 负责人: Philip Bucksbaum
• 金额: $ 171.5万
• 依托单位: Stanford University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2028-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2309238&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Ultrafast; Strong; Field; Control; Coherence

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.

Bucksbaum组的研究重点是研究和控制分子内部电子和原子的快速运动。他们使用原子能强度的激光脉冲施加精确的外力，并且持续时间足够短，以中断和指导粒子运动。主要目的是了解和控制这些颗粒的行为，它们的运动对于分子化学至关重要，在生物医学，燃料产生和能量存储中也很重要。这种内部运动的特殊量子特征，包括隧道，连贯性和纠缠，有助于光合作用，光伏能量转换和电池性能的关键方面。通过研究水（例如水）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学的引人入胜的特性。从这项研究中获得的知识也可能对涉及水和大气化学光线影响的水和小型组织的相互作用产生影响。普罗坦和电子学在许多物理和化学过程中都起着至关重要的作用。通过使用强烈的飞秒聚焦和形状的激光场，这些研究人员可以测量和操纵飞秒和子秒时尺度上的粒子运动，以映射并改变分子变化的途径。在这种自然时间尺度上对质子和电子运动的研究处于量子控制科学的最前沿，并且有潜力推进物理，化学和生物学方面的知识和应用。了解分子内运动的途径是挑战的，因为所有成分都可以同时移动并相互影响。这种复杂的行为存在于高维相空间中，因此很难可视化并填充发生化学变化的特殊点，例如键形成或增强的电离。量子力学通过引入新的特性，例如表现得像波浪和多个状态，类似于“ schrodinger猫”，这使这一复杂化使它变得复杂化。强强激光器可以在这些特殊点上检测和控制物质，以增强化学变化，创造连贯性或纠缠，甚至发现了全新的反应途径。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛影响的评估标准通过评估而被视为珍贵的支持。