[Press Release] Picometric Spectroscopy of Hydrogen Molecule in Atomic-Scale Cavity
Raman scattering of a hydrogen molecule in a plasmonic picocavity (Credit: Takashi Kumagai, Restriction: CC BY)
Release Summary
Achieved the first spectroscopic observation of hydrogen (H2) and deuterium (D2) molecules physically adsorbed within an atomic-scale space known as a picocavity.
Employed picometric rotation/vibrational spectroscopy, elucidating their structure and dynamics at the single-molecule level.
Observed different spectral responses for H2 and D2, and theoretically demonstrated that this difference arises from non-trivial isotope effects due to quantum nuclear effects.
This development in precision molecular spectroscopy within picocavities opens new possibilities for well-controlled studies of functional materials in energy applications, such as hydrogen storage systems and catalytic surfaces, and for developing single-molecule quantum control technologies.
