Attochemistry - imaging valence electrons in motion. This project aims to apply attosecond (a billionth of a billionth of a second) flashes of light (2023 Nobel Prize in Physics) to molecules to photo

Description

Attochemistry - imaging valence electrons in motion. This project aims to apply attosecond (a billionth of a billionth of a second) flashes of light (2023 Nobel Prize in Physics) to molecules to photograph the lightest and fastest particles of matter - electrons - in motion. Planned experiments and theoretical modelling will answer important open questions about dynamics of the most basic steps of chemical transformations - quantum tunneling, photoexcitation, electron migration and localisation, bond breaking and formation. The reconstructed detailed snapshots of these ultrafast processes will enhance our understanding of photochemical reactions and open new avenues to efficient control of chemistry with light, putting Australia in the forefront of the emerging field of Attochemistry.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 5102 - Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics. Lead: Prof Igor Litvinyuk