• Featured in Physics
  • Editors' Suggestion

Quantum Tunneling of Water in Beryl: A New State of the Water Molecule

Alexander I. Kolesnikov, George F. Reiter, Narayani Choudhury, Timothy R. Prisk, Eugene Mamontov, Andrey Podlesnyak, George Ehlers, Andrew G. Seel, David J. Wesolowski, and Lawrence M. Anovitz
Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 167802 – Published 22 April 2016
Physics logo See Focus story: Water Molecule Spreads Out When Caged
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

Using neutron scattering and ab initio simulations, we document the discovery of a new “quantum tunneling state” of the water molecule confined in 5 Å channels in the mineral beryl, characterized by extended proton and electron delocalization. We observed a number of peaks in the inelastic neutron scattering spectra that were uniquely assigned to water quantum tunneling. In addition, the water proton momentum distribution was measured with deep inelastic neutron scattering, which directly revealed coherent delocalization of the protons in the ground state.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 18 November 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.167802

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsPolymers & Soft MatterAtomic, Molecular & Optical

Focus

Key Image

Water Molecule Spreads Out When Caged

Published 22 April 2016

Water molecules confined in nanochannels exhibit tunneling behavior that smears out the positions of the hydrogen atoms into a pair of corrugated rings.

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Alexander I. Kolesnikov1,*, George F. Reiter2, Narayani Choudhury3, Timothy R. Prisk4, Eugene Mamontov1, Andrey Podlesnyak5, George Ehlers5, Andrew G. Seel6,†, David J. Wesolowski4, and Lawrence M. Anovitz4

  • 1Chemical and Engineering Materials Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
  • 2Physics Department, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
  • 3Math and Science Division, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland, Washington 98034, USA; School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, University of Washington, Bothell, Washington 98011, USA
  • 4Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
  • 5Quantum Condensed Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
  • 6ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom

  • *kolesnikovai@ornl.gov
  • Present address: Inorganic Chemistry Department, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, United Kingdom.

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 116, Iss. 16 — 22 April 2016

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
CHORUS

Article Available via CHORUS

Download Accepted Manuscript

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×