Robert Levis of Temple University is supported by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program to continue his research aimed at understanding and exploiting the interaction of intense, ultrafast laser pulses with polyatomic molecules. The experimental program focuses on three interconnected areas: 1) understanding strong-field nonadiabatic excitation of molecules, 2) ionization/dissociation in the mid-infrared, examining the role of charge transfer states in strong field photodissociation, and 3) the application of strong field laser-based methods for controlling gas phase biomolecule dissociation. Work will occur in two theoretical areas, specifically continuing the development of simple models including Landau-Dykne-type excitation and multi-electron nonadiabatic excitation schemes, and continuing a collaboration to develop Ehrenfest-type dynamics to understand and control better the excitation of polyatomic molecules in intense laser fields. Outcomes are expected to enable new understanding of the photophysical processes occurring in larger and more complex molecular systems in the presence of intense, ultrafast laser light.
Outcomes from this research, in the long run, are expected to assist in the development of high technology chemistries. Eventual applications in natural products/complex molecules synthesis, biomedical diagnostics, nanomaterials synthesis, molecular electronics, and chemical/biological sensor development are possible.
