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14: Time-dependent Quantum Dynamics

  • Page ID
    60571
    • Jack Simons and Jeff Nichols
    • University of Utah and Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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    The interaction of a molecular species with electromagnetic fields can cause transitions to occur among the available molecular energy levels (electronic, vibrational, rotational, and nuclear spin). Collisions among molecular species likewise can cause transitions to occur. Time-dependent perturbation theory and the methods of molecular dynamics can be employed to treat such transitions.

    • 14.1: Time-Dependent Vector Potentials
      This page explores the modification of the N-electron non-relativistic Hamiltonian to account for electromagnetic fields, detailing adjustments to momentum operators for electrons and nuclei with the vector potential A.
    • 14.2: Time-Dependent Perturbation Theory
      This page covers time-dependent perturbation theory (TDPT) for calculating transition rates between molecular states in response to external perturbations. It presents the Hamiltonian without perturbation, introduces the time-dependent Schrödinger equation with an external field, and details the expansion of state functions in field strength.
    • 14.3: Application to Electromagnetic Perturbations
      This page covers the application of the first-order Fermi-Wentzel "Golden Rule" in time-dependent perturbation theory, analyzing transition probabilities between quantum states due to light exposure. It discusses how these probabilities depend on the light frequency and the significance of resonance, emphasizing the effects of non-monochromatic light sources.
    • 14.4: The "Long-Wavelength" Approximation
      This page explores light-matter interactions in spectroscopy, focusing on the coupling matrix element \(\alpha_{f,i}\) for electric dipole (E1) transitions and its calculation for transition rates. It also examines higher-order contributions, including electric quadrupole (E2) and magnetic dipole (M1) transitions, emphasizing their importance when E1 predictions are inadequate. The orientation of the molecule and light polarization influence these interactions.
    • 14.5: The Kinetics of Photon Absorption and Emission
      This page covers phenomenological rate laws related to molecular energy state transitions influenced by electromagnetic fields. It explains transition rates derived from perturbation theory, addressing population dynamics and the principle of microscopic reversibility, with distinctions between spontaneous and stimulated emission rates.

    Thumbnail: Energy diagram illustrating the Franck–Condon principle applied to the solvation of chromophores. The parabolic potential curves symbolize the interaction energy between the chromophores and the solvent. The Gaussian curves represent the distribution of this interaction energy. (CC -BY-SA 3.0; Mark Somoza)


    This page titled 14: Time-dependent Quantum Dynamics is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jack Simons and Jeff Nichols via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.