• Open Access

Cavity Casimir-Polder Forces and Their Effects in Ground-State Chemical Reactivity

Javier Galego, Clàudia Climent, Francisco J. Garcia-Vidal, and Johannes Feist
Phys. Rev. X 9, 021057 – Published 21 June 2019

Abstract

Here, we present a fundamental study on how the ground-state chemical reactivity of a single molecule can be modified in a QED scenario, i.e., when it is placed inside a nanoscale cavity and there is strong coupling between the cavity field and vibrational modes within the molecule. We work with a model system for the molecule (Shin-Metiu model) in which nuclear, electronic, and photonic degrees of freedom are treated on the same footing. This simplified model allows the comparison of exact quantum reaction rate calculations with predictions emerging from transition state theory based on the cavity Born-Oppenheimer approach. We demonstrate that QED effects are indeed able to significantly modify activation barriers in chemical reactions and, as a consequence, reaction rates. The critical physical parameter controlling this effect is the permanent dipole of the molecule and how this magnitude changes along the reaction coordinate. We show that the effective coupling can lead to significant single-molecule energy shifts in an experimentally available nanoparticle-on-mirror cavity. We then apply the validated theory to a realistic case (internal rotation in the 1,2-dichloroethane molecule), showing how reactions can be inhibited or catalyzed depending on the profile of the molecular dipole. Furthermore, we discuss the absence of resonance effects in the present scenario, which can be understood through its connection to Casimir-Polder forces. Finally, we treat the case of many-molecule strong coupling and find collective modifications of reaction rates if the molecular permanent dipole moments are oriented with respect to the cavity field.

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  • Received 27 July 2018
  • Revised 11 February 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.9.021057

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & OpticalCondensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Javier Galego1, Clàudia Climent1, 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

  • *johannes.feist@uam.es

Popular Summary

Over the past few years, it has become clear that strong electromagnetic coupling between a molecule and light confined in a nanoscale cavity can lead to significant modifications of the electromagnetic response of the hybrid system as well as the internal molecular properties. However, up to now there has been no general theory on how these interactions affect the chemical reactivity of a molecule in its ground state without any external input of energy. We supply this theory by developing a mathematical framework that combines quantum electrodynamics and the quantum theory of chemical reactivity.

We implement this approach for a simple model molecule that can be solved without approximations. This allows us to explore the general properties of cavity-induced ground-state chemical reactivity changes and develop a simplified theoretical model that can be applied to more complex molecules.

Remarkably, we find that the induced changes do not depend on any resonance condition between molecular transitions (such as vibrational or electronic excitations) and cavity modes, with the relevant interactions closely related to well-known electrostatic forces on the molecule due to other molecules or larger material bodies. In particular, the largest contribution is typically determined by the change of the permanent dipole moment of the molecule between its equilibrium and transition state configuration.

We show that experimentally available nanocavities can induce changes in reaction rates by an order of magnitude in a single molecule. We also find that in the case of many molecules, this effect becomes significant only if all the molecules are aligned. We thus provide a fundamental understanding of how nanoscale cavities can be used to manipulate chemical reactions of single molecules.

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Vol. 9, Iss. 2 — April - June 2019

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It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

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