Molecular Physics

Quantum anomaly in molecular physics.

The interaction of an electron with a polar molecule is shown to be the simplest realization of a quantum anomaly in a physical system. The existence of a critical dipole moment for electron capture and formation of anions, which has been confirmed experimentally and numerically, is derived. This phenomenon is a manifestation of the anomaly associated with quantum symmetry breaking of the class...

General Physics I. Molecular Beams

1. Introduction Since the first measurements of the velocity distribution of atoms evaporating from the surface of bulk liquid helium by Johnston and King, several theories have been advanced to explain the helium evaporation process. In these theories, the excita-tions in liquid He II, phonons and rotons, play an important role in the evaporation mechanism. In this report, we discuss an experi...

The physics of molecular motors.

Molecular motors convert chemical energy into mechanical force and movement. Operating at energies just above those of the thermal bath, these motors experience large fluctuations, and their physical description must be necessarily stochastic. Here, motor operation is described as a biased diffusion on a potential energy surface defined by the interactions of the motor with its track and its fu...

General Physics I. Molecular Collisions

Molecular Electronics: from Physics to Computing

Even if Moore’s Law continues to hold, it will take about 250 years to fill the performance gap between present-day computer and the ultimate computer determined from the laws of physics alone. Information processing technology in the post-CMOS era will likely consist of a heterogeneous set of novel device technologies that span a broad range of materials, operational principles, data represent...