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Many-Molecule Reaction Triggered by a Single Photon in Polaritonic Chemistry

Javier Galego, Francisco J. Garcia-Vidal, and Johannes Feist
Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 136001 – Published 27 September 2017
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Abstract

The second law of photochemistry states that, in most cases, no more than one molecule is activated for an excited-state reaction for each photon absorbed by a collection of molecules. In this Letter, we demonstrate that it is possible to trigger a many-molecule reaction using only one photon by strongly coupling the molecular ensemble to a confined light mode. The collective nature of the resulting hybrid states of the system (the so-called polaritons) leads to the formation of a polaritonic “supermolecule” involving the degrees of freedom of all molecules, opening a reaction path on which all involved molecules undergo a chemical transformation. We theoretically investigate the system conditions for this effect to take place and be enhanced.

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  • Received 18 May 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.136001

© 2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & OpticalCondensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

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Inducing Multiple Reactions with a Single Photon

Published 27 September 2017

Using an optical cavity to couple several molecules can potentially set up a chemical chain reaction that requires just one photon to initiate.

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Authors & Affiliations

Javier Galego1, Francisco J. Garcia-Vidal1,2,*, and Johannes Feist1,†

  • 1Departamento de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
  • 2Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), E-20018 Donostia/San Sebastian, Spain

  • *fj.garcia@uam.es
  • johannes.feist@uam.es

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Issue

Vol. 119, Iss. 13 — 29 September 2017

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