Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Molecular decontamination on orbit'

An algorithm for calculating the first-order electronic orbit-orbit magnetic interaction correction for an electronic wave function expanded in terms of all-electron explicitly correlated molecular Gaussian (ECG) functions with shifted centers is derived and implemented. The algorithm is tested in calculations concerning the H-2 molecule. It is also applied in calculations for LiH and H-3(+) molecular systems. The implementation completes our work on the leading relativistic correction for ECGs and paves the way for very accurate ECG calculations of ground and excited potential energy surfaces (PESs) of small molecules with two and more nuclei and two and more electrons, such as HeH, H-3(+), HeH2+, and LiH2+. The PESs will be used to determine rovibrational spectra of the systems. Published by AIP Publishing.

La contamination moléculaire en orbite est l’une des problématiques majeures de l’industrie spatiale. En effet, lorsque les satellites sont en orbite, les molécules organiques contenues dans les peintures, adhésifs ou encore les colles utilisés dans la conception des satellites peuvent dégazer et ainsi former des films ou des gouttelettes en se déposant sur les surfaces sensibles comme les instruments optiques et électroniques ou encore les surfaces de contrôle thermique ce qui a pour conséquence d’endommager ces équipements. Les hydrocarbures ainsi que les plastifiants émis ont été identifiés comme étant les contaminants majeurs. Parmi les matériaux poreux testés pour l’adsorption de ces polluants organiques, les zéolithes se sont avérées être les plus efficaces de par leur capacité à piéger ces molécules présentes à de très faibles concentrations dans les conditions spatiales. La synthèse des zéolithes conduisant généralement à des poudres qui seraient elles-mêmes source de contamination particulaire, une mise en forme de ces zéolithes est donc nécessaire. Des pastilles, billes et films zéolithiques ont été élaborées lors de précédents projets mais ces mises en forme comportent leur lot de désavantages comme l’ajout d’équipements additionnels pour insérer les pastilles à la structure des satellites, les mauvaises propriétés mécaniques des billes ou encore la faible quantité de zéolithe mise en jeu dans le cas des films ainsi que de la difficulté d’application de ces derniers sur de grandes surfaces. C’est pourquoi, le développement de peintures zéolithiques a été envisagé étant donné que ces dernières présentent notamment l’avantage de pouvoir être directement appliquées sur la surface interne des satellites. L’objectif de cette thèse est donc d’élaborer des peintures zéolithiques qui adhèrent sur les éléments de surface des satellites, qui soient stables mécaniquement (chocs et vibrations subis par les satellites, gradients de température) et qui puissent piéger les polluants organiques. Des zéolithes de type structural FAU (hydrophile) et MFI (hydrophobe) ont été utilisées en combinaison avec des résines silicones comme liants dans le but d’élaborer des peintures zéolithiques pouvant répondre aux contraintes spatiales. Ces peintures zéolithiques ont montré de bonnes propriétés d’adhésion (notes de 0 au test d’adhésion selon la norme ISO 2409) ainsi qu’une bonne stabilité mécanique et thermique dans des conditions pouvant être rencontrées en orbite. Les liants utilisés n’obstruent que très peu voire pas du tout l’accessibilité à la porosité des peintures zéolithiques et de bonnes capacités d’adsorption du n-hexane ont été obtenues. Différentes quantités de pigment noir (charbon animal ou noir de carbone) ont également été ajoutées à certaines peintures zéolithiques pour développer des peintures zéolithiques carbonées dans le but d’absorber la lumière afin de répondre à un autre phénomène responsable de la contamination d’équipements optiques : la lumière parasite
The phenomenon of on-orbit molecular contamination is one of the major issues encountered by the space industry. Indeed, when satellites are placed in orbit, organic molecules contained in coatings, adhesives or glues used in the conception of satellites can degas and thus form films or droplets by depositing themselves on sensitive surfaces such as optical and electronic instruments or thermal control surfaces. This contamination leads to a drastic decrease of on-board equipment performance. Hydrocarbons as well as plasticizers have been identified as major contaminants. Among several porous materials tested for the adsorption of these organic pollutants, zeolites were found to be the most efficient due to their ability to trap organic molecules at a very low concentration in space conditions. The synthesis of zeolites generally leads to powders that would themselves be a source of particulate contamination, therefore a shaping of these zeolites appears to be necessary. Pellets, beads and zeolite films were developed in previous projects, but these processes have some disadvantages such as the addition of additional equipment to insert pellets into the structure of satellites, poor mechanical properties of beads or the small quantity of zeolite involved in the case of films and the difficulty of applying them to large surfaces. That is why, zeolite coatings were selected because they can be applied directly to the internal surface of satellites. The main goal of this project is to develop zeolite coatings that adhere to the surface elements of satellites, that are mechanically stable (shocks and vibrations undergone by satellites, temperature gradients) and that can trap organic pollutants. FAU-type (hydrophilic) and MFI-type (hydrophobic)zeolites were used in combination with silicone resins as binders in order to develop zeolite coatings that can that can fulfill spatial requirements. These zeolite coatings showed good adhesion properties (adhesion note of 0 according the ISO 2409 standard) as well as good mechanical and thermal stability under conditions encountered in orbit. Zeolite coatings porosity remain mostly accessible despite the use of a binder and good n-hexane adsorption capacities were obtained. Different quantities of black pigment (bone char or carbon black) were also added to some zeolite coatings to develop black zeolite coatings with the aim of absorbing light in order to respond to another phenomenon responsible of optial equipment contamination: stray light

Orbit-based theoretical approaches to modelling strong eld phenomena allow physical intuition to be extracted from complex multi-dimensional quantum processes. Highorder harmonic generation (HHG) has been interpreted relatively successfully for almost two decades as a three step process in which an ionized electron is accelerated by the eld and recombines with its parent ion, resulting in high-order multiples of the laser frequency. This process is often modelled within the strong-eld approximation (SFA), where the eect of the Coulomb potential on the electron is neglected while the electron is accelerated by the eld, and the single-active electron (SAE) approximation. The SFA provides an appealing interpretation of HHG in terms of interfering electron trajectories. Although successful in reproducing experimental observables in atomic systems, in recent years the importance of multi-electron eects, molecular orbital symmetry and the Coulomb potential in atoms and diatomic molecules have been seen experimentally and theoretically. These eects, neglected by the original SFA formulation, mean that either modications to the original SFA, or new trajectory based theories, are essential for a more complete physical understanding of the HHG phenomenon. This thesis investigates these eects in HHG from homonuclear and heteronuclear diatomic molecules in strong elds. We model and assess the importance of multiple molecular orbital contributions, molecular orbital geometry and two-centre interference on the HHG spectrum. These problems are approached within a semi-analytical, SFA, framework and with a static core. It is found that these eects can be seen in the HHG spectrum. By predicting novel features in the spectrum arising from such eects we obtain not only a better understanding and interpretation of current experimental results, but also new insight and applicability to molecular imaging. In addition to these modications, a new theoretical approach, the coupled coherent state (CCS) method is used to model Hydrogen in an intense eld, although it can be extended to multi-electron systems and diatomic molecules. In the CCS method, the Coulomb potential is fully included at all stages in the HHG process, and most notably, during the electron propagation, where it is neglected by the SFA. The CCS method has favourable scaling with dimensionality, compared to other numerical approaches, as well as being fully quantum. It is trajectory based, facilitating comparison with the three step model and the strong eld approximation. Therefore we benet from the physical intuition of semi-classical approaches but within a fully quantum framework and without the approximations of semi-analytical methods.

Physics
Ph.D.
The quantum interference effects, such as the Autler-Townes (AT) effect and electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) applied to molecular systems are the focus of this Dissertation in the context of high resolution molecular spectroscopy. We demonstrate that the AT effect can be used to manipulate the spin character of a spin-orbit coupled pair of molecular energy levels serving as a \textit{gateway} between the singlet and triplet electronic states. We demonstrate that the singlet-triplet mixing characters of the \textit{gateway} levels can be controlled by manipulating the coupling laser \textit{E} field amplitude. We observe experimentally the collisional population transfer between electronic states $G^1\Pi_g (v=12, J=21, f)$ and $1^3\Sigma _g^-(v=1, N=21, f)$ of $^7$Li$_2$. We obtain the Stern-Vollmer plot according to the vapor pressure dependence of collisional transfer rate. The triplet fluorescence from the mixed \textit{gateway} levels to the triplet $b^3\Pi_u(v'=1,J'=
Temple University--Theses

L'importance des effets relativistes dans la chimie a été reconnu depuis les années 1980. Par exemple, sans la relativité (a) l'or aurait la même couleur que l'argent (b) le mercure ne serait pas liquide à la température ambiante et (c) nos voitures ne démarrent pas avec une batterie de plomb. Pour une description théorique de la structure et la réactivité des éléments lourds, la relativité est un ingrédient essentiel. Le hamiltonien pour les calculs moléculaires relativistes à 4 composantes est construit en remplaçant la partie mono-électronique de l'hamiltonien électronique non-relativiste par le hamiltonien de Dirac. La partie bi-électronique est approchée par le terme de r Coulomb comme dans le cas non relativiste, ce qui donnel'hamiltonien de Dirac-Coulomb (DC). Pour réduire le coût de calcul, on peut utiliser des hamiltoniens relativistes à 2 composantes. Parmi eux, l'hamiltonien exact à 2 composantes (X2C) est le plus précise. La corrélation électronique est, cependant, une contribution très importante pour obtenir une description théorique à la fois qualitative et quantitative des spectroscopies moléculaires, réactions, etc. Dans cette thèse, nous avons étudié l'interaction entre la relativité et de la corrélation. à la fois par des développements méthodologiques et par des applications moléculaires. Dans la première partie de la thèse, nous avons calculé les constantes spectroscopiques dimères des gaz rares lourds. La liaison faible de ces dimères ne peut être décrit que par l'inclusion de la corrélation électronique. Les dimères des gaz rares les plus lourds, le radon et l'eka-radon, nécessite de plus un traitement adéquat de la relativité. Nos calculs sont basés sur l'hamiltonien X2Cmmf, à la fois avec des méthodes de corrélation basés sur une fonction d'onde et séparation de porte (srDFT). La deuxième partie de cette thèse concerne la simulation de la spectroscopie des rayons X, où l'on sonde la région du cœur d'une molécule, ou la relativité joue un rôle très important. Nous avons étudié la spectroscopie L-edge de la série isoélectronique: UO22 +, UNO+, et UN2, où le couplage spin-orbite joue un rôle majeur. Au niveau des méthodes, nous avons considéré MP2 à couches ouvertes et la théorie de la fonctionnelle de la densité dépendante de temps (TDDFT). Dans un autre étude, nous avons simulé la spectroscopie K-edge de la série H2X (X = O, S, Se, Te) et XH3 (X = N, P, As) ainsi que les molécules N2 et N2O2. Pour ces systèmes, l'interaction spin-orbite est moins important. Par conséquent, nous avons utilisé un hamiltonien DC sans spin (SF). Certains des systèmes pris en compte dans ce travail sont de caractère multi-référentielles ; nous avons utilisé la methode Coupled Cluster Multi-référentielle de type State Universal et adapté au groupe unitaire (UGA-SUMRCC) comme une méthode de corrélation. Dans la troisième et partie principale de la thèse, l'attention est de nouveau sur la relativité et de la corrélation, mais pour le calcul des propriétés électriques et magnétiques moléculaires. Nous avons développé et mis en œuvre un module pour le calcul des valeurs moyennes au niveau relativiste à 4-composantes coupled cluster monoréferentiel. Les propriétés qui sondent la densité électronique près de noyaux (lourds), telles que la résonance paramagnétique électronique (RPE), les paramètres des gradients de champ électrique et la non-conservation de la parité (NCP) des molécules chirales ,sont parfaitement adaptés pour l'application de cette méthode. Pour l'instant, nous avons étudié que la NCP. Ce module dans le logiciel DIRAC pour les calculs moléculaires relativistes fournit un cadre propice pour la mise en œuvre de méthodes de CC relativistes employant la symétrie de groupes doubles et de permutation de manière très efficace. En perspective, nous ciblons la mise en œuvre de la réponse linéaire CC pour le calcul des énergies d'excitation et propriétés moléculaires de second ordre tels que les paramètres de RMN
The importance of relativistic effects in chemistry has been recognized since the 1980s. Without relativity (a) gold would have the same colour as silver (b) mercury would not be liquid at room temperature (c) our cars would not start (lead-battery). For a theoretical description of the structure and reactivity of heavy-elements, relativity is considered as an essential ingredient. The Hamiltonian for the 4-component relativistic molecular calculations is constructed by replacing the one-electronic part of the non-relativistic molecular Hamiltonian by the Dirac Hamiltonian. The two-electronic part of the Hamiltonian is approximated by the Coulombic repulsion term as in the non-relativistic case. The resulting Hamiltonian is called the Dirac-Coulomb (DC) Hamiltonian. For chemical applications there exist a class of relativistic Hamiltonians, where one-electronic part of the DC Hamiltonian is transformed to a 2-component one. Among them the eXcact 2-component (X2C) Hamiltonian is the most accurate one. Electron correlation, however, is a very important contribution to achieve a both qualitative and quantitative correct description of molecular spectroscopies, reactions etc. It is, therefore, essential to study the interplay between relativity and correlation. In this thesis, we have studied this interplay both in terms methodological developments and molecular applications. In the first part of the thesis we have studied the spectroscopic constants of the heavy rare gas dimers. The weak bonding of those dimers can only be described by the inclusion of electron correlation. The heavier analogues in the rare gas series i.e, Radon and eka-Radon, in addition require adequate treatment of relativity. Our calculations are based on the eXact 2-Component molecular-mean field (X2Cmmf) Hamiltonian both with wave function methods and range-separated DFT methods. The second part of this thesis simulates X-ray spectroscopy, where one probes the core region of a molecule. In the core region relativity plays a very significant role. Removal and excitation of electrons from that region involve various processes, which are beyond a mean-field description. We have studied L-edge spectroscopy of the isoelectronic series: UO22+, UNO+, and UN2, where spin-orbit coupling plays a major role. For the theory we have considered single reference open-shell MP2 and Time Dependent Density functional Theory (TDDFT). In another work, we have studied K-edge spectroscopy of the H2X (X= O, S, Se, Te) and XH3 (X= N, P, As) series as well as N2, N2O2 molecules. For this study spin-orbit coupling is less important, therefore, we have treated them with the Spin-Free (SF) DC Hamiltonian. Some of the systems considered in this work are Multi-Reference in nature; we have used Unitary Group Adapted (UGA) State Universal Multi-reference Coupled Cluster (UGA-SUMRCC) theory as a correlation method. In the third and major part of the thesis, the thrust is again on relativity and correlation, but for the calculation of molecular electric and magnetic properties. We have developed and implemented a module for the calculation of expectation values at the 4-component Relativistic Single Reference Coupled Cluster level. Properties that probe the electron density near (heavy) nuclei, such as Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) parameters, electric field gradients and parity non-conservation (PNC) in chiral molecules are ideally suited for the application of this method. However, we have only studied PNC so far. This module in the DIRAC software for relativstic molecular calculations provides a convenient framework for the implementation of relativistic CC methods employing double group and permutation symmetry very efficiently. In the near future we therefore target the implementation of Linear Response CC for the calculation of excitation energies and second-order molecular properties such as NMR parameters

La signature spectroscopique des ions moléculaires est fondamentale pour l'étude et la caractérisation de plasma en astrophysique et en laboratoire. Différentes techniques peuvent être utilisées pour caractériser ces plasmas parmi lesquelles la spectroscopie de photoélectrons induits par rayons X et la photo-absorption X. L'objectif de cette thèse est la simulation des spectres de photo-absorption au seuil L (2p) des ions moléculaires de silicium SiHn+ (n= 1, 2, 3) et au seuil K (1s) des ions moléculaires de l'oxygène OHn+ (n=1, 2) et du carbone CHn+ (n= 1, 2) produits lors d'une décharge plasma. Nous avons développé différents protocoles numériques permettant de calculer les spectres d'absorption aux seuils K et L en combinant des méthodes de structures électroniques et de propagation de paquet d'ondes. Les optimisations de géométrie et le calcul des seuils d'ionisation (IP) sont obtenus en utilisant la théorie de la fonctionnelle de la densité (DFT). Les effets de relaxation électronique due à la formation d'un trou en couche interne sont pris en compte au niveau SCF (convergence de la fonction d'onde électronique à N-1 électrons). Les surfaces d'énergie potentielle (PES) et les moments de transition dipolaires sont calculés à un niveau Post-HF (Interaction de configurations, CI). L'introduction explicite du couplage spin-orbite à l'aide de l'opérateur Breit-Pauli est utilisée pour l'étude du processus d'excitation au seuil L du silicium. Les spectres théoriques calculés pour les différentes molécules étudiées présentent un accord raisonnable avec les mesures expérimentales. La présence d'états électroniques métastables produits lors de la décharge plasma est discutée
Molecular ions cover important roles in study and characterization of astrophysical and laboratory plasma. To this purposes, different spectroscopic techniques are used among which we found the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the X-ray photoabsorption spectroscopy. This PhD work is focused on the calculation of X-ray photoabsorption spectra of molecular ions of silicon, carbon and oxygen XHn+ (X= Si, C, O; n= 1, 2, 3). The former is excited on the L (2p) shell while the others on the K (1s) shell produced in plasma discharged. We developed numerical protocols which permits to compute with reasonable precision the K and L-shell photoabsorption spectra combining electronic structure and nuclear wavepacket propagation methods. The optimization of the geometries and the calculation of the ionization potentials (IP) are carried out using the density functional theory (DFT). The relaxation effects due to the core hole creation are taken into account at the self-consistent field (SCF) level. The potential energy surfaces (PES) and the dipole moment transitions are computed at the post Hartree-Fock (configuration interaction, CI) level. The spin-orbit coupling effect are explicitly taken into account through the Breit-Pauli operator. The theoretical results have been compared with the experimental data and they allow the interpretation of the experimental bands

La production d'énergie nucléaire nécessite des systèmes avancés pour améliorer les procédures de stockage et de confinement des déchets radioactifs. Par ailleurs, la capture d'éléments radioactifs mobiles dans les effluents des centrales nucléaires demande une amélioration de la capacité et de la sélectivité. L'iode 129-I est un des produits les plus critiques à confiner et il est produit pendant les procédés de recyclage des déchets nucléaires. Dans ce travail de thèse, la classe de matériaux moléculaires, dénommée structures de type Hofmann, a été étudiée en tant que matériaux massifs et nanoparticules supportées pour la capture sélective de l'iode moléculaire. En premier lieu, les matériaux M'(L)[M''(CN)4] ont été précipités sous la forme de poudres microcristallines. L'insertion d'iode dans le réseau des matériaux massifs a été effectuée par différents protocoles: 1) adsorption d'iode dans des solutions de cyclohexane à température ambiante; 2) adsorption d'iode en phase gazeuse à 80 °C; 3) adsorption de vapeurs d'iode en phase gazeuse à 80 °C et en présence de vapeurs d'eau. Les différents protocoles pour l'insertion d'iode n'ont pas influencé la nature de l'iode confiné. Pour la capture en solution, les structures NiII(pz)[NiII(CN)4], NiII(pz)[PdII(CN)4] et CoII(pz)[NiII(CN)4] ont montré une capacité d'une molécule d'iode par unité de maille. L'iode confiné est physisorbé en tant qu'iode moléculaire en interaction avec le réseau. Les modélisations GCMC ont confirmé la capacité maximale et ils ont indiqué que l'iode interagit avec la pyrazine et avec les cyanures. Sur la base des données expérimentales, la modulation des métaux dans le réseau a montré une légère différence dans la force d'interaction entre l'iode et le réseau et une adaptation de la maille spécifique pour chaque composition. Une complète régénération du réseau a été possible, puisque l'iode était complètement désorbé avant la décomposition du réseau. Pour le réseau NiII(pz)[PtII(CN)4], on a observé un mécanisme différent de capture puisque ce réseau contenant Pt a réagi avec l'iode en donnant le complexe de coordination NiII(pz)[PtII/IV(CN)4].I-. La formation de ce type de complexe était déjà observée dans la littérature par Ohtani et al. lesquels avaient préparé le complexe via une synthèse in-situ. Ensuite, le changement du ligand organique pyrazine avec d'autres ligands plus longs, c'est-à-dire la 4,4'-bipyridine (bpy) ou 4,4'-azopyridine (azpy), pour avoir des cages plus grandes a montré une diminution de la capacité maximale de capture d'iode. Les données expérimentales ont suggéré que pour un confinement d'iode optimisé, le réseau doit disposer de cages avec une dimension très proche de la molécule d'iode (0.5 nm). Après l'étude des matériaux massifs, nous avons considéré la préparation de nanoparticules supportées de NiII(pz)[NiII(CN)4] pour la capture d'iode. Nous avons obtenu les nanoparticules via un procédé étape par étape, par imprégnation d'une série de silices mésoporeuses greffées avec un ligand diamine, puis avec les précurseurs de NiII(pz)[NiII(CN)4]. Nous avons utilisé en tant que supports, une silice SBA-15 modifiée et des billes de verre poreux pour obtenir respectivement les nanocomposites Sil@NP and Glass@NP. Par microscopie électronique à transmission, nous avons détecté pour Sil@NP des nanoparticules de diamètre moyen 2.8 nm. L'adsorption d'iode dans les nanoparticules a été confirmée par spectroscopie FT-IR. Les traitements thermiques ont indiqué que la portion d'iode dans les nanoparticules pouvait être désorbé dans l'intervalle 150-250 °C. Nous avons pu estimer que la capacité de capture des nanoparticles était très proche de la capacité du massif NiII(pz)[NiII(CN)4]@I2
Nuclear power industry still demands further research to improve the methods for the storage and the confinement of the hazardous radioactive wastes coming from the fission of radionuclide 235U. The volatile radioactive 129I (half-life time 15x107 years) is one of the most critical products coming from the reprocessing plants in the fuel-closed cycles. In the present thesis the family of coordination solid networks, known as Hofmann-type structures, was studied in the form as both bulk and supported nanoparticles for the selective entrapment of the molecular iodine. This set of investigated materials exhibited a general formula M'(L)[M''(CN)4] where M' = NiII or CoII; L = pyrazine, 4,4'-bipyridine, 4,4'-azopyridine; M'' = NiII, PdII or PtII. Initially, the material NiII(pz)[NiII(CN)4] and its analogue structures were precipitated as microcrystalline bulky compounds and fully characterized. The insertion of the iodine in the bulky host structures was performed with different methods: 1) adsorption of iodine in solutions of cyclohexane at room temperature; 2) adsorption of iodine vapours at 80 °C; 3) adsorption of iodine vapours at 80 °C in presence of water steam (for few selected materials). The different methods did not affect the nature of the confined iodine. For the entrapment in solution, results indicated that the Hofmann-type structures NiII(pz)[NiII(CN)4], NiII(pz)[PdII(CN)4] and CoII(pz)[NiII(CN)4] could host one I2 molecule per unit cell. The iodine resulted physisorbed as molecular iodine in interaction with the host structure. GCMC simulations confirmed the maximal capacities and indicated that iodine could interact with both the pyrazine and the coordinated cyanides. Experimentally, however, the modulation of the metals showed a slightly different strength of interaction I2-lattice bringing to a different lattice adaptation. The materials also could be fully regenerated since the complete desorption of iodine occurred before the decomposition of the host structure. Reiterated adsorption-desorption steps (3 cycles) on the networks NiII(pz)[NiII(CN)4] and NiII(pz)[PdII(CN)4] indicated an excellent structural resistance to cycling and a maintained high capacity. A different mechanism of confinement was detected for the structure NiII(pz)[PtII(CN)4] which reacted with iodine giving complex NiII(pz)[PtII/IV(CN)4].I-. Finally, the modulation of the organic ligand L indicated that the replacement of the ligand pyrazine with longer ligands, to obtain larger pores, had a detrimental effect on the maximal iodine loading due to a weaker confinement. After the study of the bulk materials, we considered the preparation of supported nanoparticles of NiII(pz)[NiII(CN)4] for the entrapment of iodine. The nanoparticles were obtained by a step-by-step method, impregnating a set of diammine-grafted mesoporous silicas with the precursors of NiII(pz)[NiII(CN)4]. We detected nanoparticles with mean size 2.8 nm by transmission electronic microscopy. The insertion of iodine in the nanoparticles was confirmed by FT-IR. Thermal treatments indicated that the portion of iodine inside the nanoparticles could be reversibly desorbed in the range 150-250 °C and reintroduced in a cyclic process. It was estimated that the amount of physisorbed iodine in the NPs, with respect to the amount of deposited NPs matched with the maximal capacity NiII(pz)[NiII(CN)4]@I2

Cette thèse traite de l'application des approches topologiques de la liaison chimique à des systèmes contenant des éléments lourds sujets aux effets relativistes, notamment ceux dépendant du spin. Elle présente deux volets principaux : (i) l'évaluation des effets du couplage spin-orbite (SO) sur la structure électronique à l'aide d'une analyse combinée des propriétés de la fonction ELF et de l'approche QTAIM en deux composantes et (ii) la rationalisation des distorsions structurales pour des molécules impliquant des éléments lourds et le rôle du couplage SO dans ces distorsions. Nous avons pu mettre en évidence différentes situations pour lesquelles le couplage SO peut avoir une influence très importante, modérée ou négligeable. Un résultat important de ce travail démontre la dépendance du couplage SO à son environnement chimique. Pour le second volet, nous avons élaboré une approche qui a consisté à établir une corrélation entre les interactions électrostatiques locales entre régions liantes et non liantes (bassins ELF et QTAIM) et la géométrie moléculaire du système dans l'esprit des modèles VSEPR et du Ligand Close Packing (LCP). Cette approche a notamment mis en évidence la connexion entre la structure moléculaire et les répulsions des paires non-liantes de l'atome central avec leur environnement
This thesis deals with the aplication of topological approaches of the chemical bonding by means of analysing properties of density-based functions like Electron Localization Function (ELF) and the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecumes (QTAIM) to systems involving heavy elements such as 6p elements or actinides . It is divided into two main parts: (i) the evaluation of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effects on the electronic structure by means of combination of the QTAIM and ELF topological analyses in the field of quasirelativistic quantum calculations, and (ii) the rationalization of structural distorsions on molecules containing heavy atoms, and the role of the SOC on these distorsions. We were able to emphasize different situations for which SOC has strong, moderate or tiny influence on the chemical bonding, depending on the chemical environnement on which the heavy element is involved. In the second part of this thesis we tested our approach consisting of ELF/QTAIM interbasin repulsion energy analysis in connection with the molecular geometry of the system, in the spirit of the VSEPR and LCP models

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Cincinnati, 2005.
Title from electronic thesis title page (viewed Apr. 12, 2006). Includes abstract. Keywords: band structure; charge separation; 4-chlorophenol; CrO3; deactivation; Degussa P25; Electrospinning; environment decontamination.; Fibers; MCM-41; MCM-48; Mesoporous Molecular Sieves; oxidation state; photocatalysis; platinum; quantum efficiency; reactivation; reduction; SBA-15; surface modification; synergism; synergy; TiO2; titania; Titanium Dioxide; total carbon removal.; total organic carbon; TPR; Transition metals; visible light; UV-light; UV-Visible. Includes bibliographical references.

The main focus of this thesis is the investigation of the dissociation dynamics of aryl halides using femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. In the monohalogenated aryl halides, iodo-, bromo- and chlorobenzene, the rate of dissociation following excitation at 266 nm in the gas phase increased with increasing mass of the halogen atom. This process was assigned to predissociation of the initially excited singlet (π, π*) state via a repulsive triplet (n, σ*) state due to spin-orbit interaction. In addition to the predissociative mechanism, a direct dissociation channel was observed in iodobenzene. The rate of the predissociation in bromobenzene was found to be faster in the condensed phase than in the gas phase, which can be explained by solvent-induced symmetry perturbations. Ab initio calculations of the potential energy surfaces of the ground state and several low lying excited states in bromobenzene have been performed in order to verify the suggested mechanism. Substituting one of the hydrogen atoms in bromobenzene affected the predissociation rate significantly. In o-, m- and p-dibromobenzene the predissociation rate increased with decreasing distance between the bromine atoms in accordance with an increased spin-orbit interaction introduced by the bromine substituent. The fastest predissociation rate was observed in 1,3,5-tribromobenzene. With chlorine and fluorine substitution, inductive and conjugative effects were found to be of importance. In the o- and m-isomers of the dihalogenated aryl halides, an additional faster dissociation channel was observed. Guided by ab initio calculations of the potential energy surfaces in the dibromobenzene isomers, we ascribed the fast dissociation pathway to predissociation of an initially excited triplet state. Upon methyl group substitution in bromobenzene, the decreased lifetime of the initially excited state was attributed to an incresaed density of coupled states.

Another system which has been studied in the condensed phase is diiodomethane. Using Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations we observed a prompt dissociation and subsequent recombination to the isomer, iso-diiodomethane, in acetonitrile solution.

Vibrational wavepacket dynamics in the C (¹Σ⁺) state of NaK were studied using a direct ionization probing scheme. A simple analytical expression for the pump-probe signal was developed in order to see what factors that govern direct ionization of the vibrational wavepacket. Our experimental data was consistent with a photoionization transition dipole moment that varies with internuclear distance.

Ultrafast dynamical processes in magnetic systems have become the subject of intense research during the last two decades, initiated by the pioneering discovery of femtosecond laser-induced demagnetization in nickel. In this thesis, we develop theory for fast and ultrafast magnetization dynamics. In particular, we build relativistic theory to explain the magnetization dynamics observed at short timescales in pump-probe magneto-optical experiments and compute from first-principles the coherent laser-induced magnetization. In the developed relativistic theory, we start from the fundamental Dirac-Kohn-Sham equation that includes all relativistic effects related to spin and orbital magnetism as well as the magnetic exchange interaction and any external electromagnetic field. As it describes both particle and antiparticle, a separation between them is sought because we focus on low-energy excitations within the particle system. Doing so, we derive the extended Pauli Hamiltonian that captures all relativistic contributions in first order; the most significant one is the full spin-orbit interaction (gauge invariant and Hermitian). Noteworthy, we find that this relativistic framework explains a wide range of dynamical magnetic phenomena. To mention, (i) we show that the phenomenological Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation of spin dynamics can be rigorously obtained from the Dirac-Kohn-Sham equation and we derive an exact expression for the tensorial Gilbert damping. (ii) We derive, from the gauge-invariant part of the spin-orbit interaction, the existence of a relativistic interaction that linearly couples the angular momentum of the electromagnetic field and the electron spin. We show this spin-photon interaction to provide the previously unknown origin of the angular magneto-electric coupling, to explain coherent ultrafast magnetism, and to lead to a new torque, the optical spin-orbit torque. (iii) We derive a definite description of magnetic inertia (spin nutation) in ultrafast magnetization dynamics and show that it is a higher-order spin-orbit effect. (iv) We develop a unified theory of magnetization dynamics that includes spin currents and show that the nonrelativistic spin currents naturally lead to the current-induced spin-transfer torques, whereas the relativistic spin currents lead to spin-orbit torques. (v) Using the relativistic framework together with ab initio magneto-optical calculations we show that relativistic laser-induced spin-flip transitions do not explain the measured large laser-induced demagnetization. Employing the ab initio relativistic framework, we calculate the amount of magnetization that can be imparted in a material by means of circularly polarized light – the so-called inverse Faraday effect. We show the existence of both spin and orbital induced magnetizations, which surprisingly reveal a different behavior. We establish that the laser-induced magnetization is antisymmetric in the light’s helicity for nonmagnets, antiferromagnets and paramagnets; however, it is only asymmetric for ferromagnets.

Le travail théorique présenté dans cette thèse concerne la formation de molécules ultra-froides bialcalines et le contrôle de leurs degrés de liberté externes et internes. Cette étude est motivée par les nombreuses expériences en cours visant à l'obtention d'un gaz quantique dégénéré de molécules dans leur état fondamental absolu. Le schéma de formation étudié repose sur le processus de transfert adiabatique stimulé (STIRAP) réalisé en présence d'un potentiel optique de piégeage (réseau optique) des atomes et des molécules.Nous avons déterminé les paramètres du réseau optique (intensité et fréquence du champ laser) qui permettent de piéger efficacement des dimères d'alcalins en évaluant la polarisabilité dynamique acquise par les molécules soumises à un champ externe. Ces calculs reposent en particulier sur la connaissance détaillée de la structure électronique des molécules. Nous avons identifié des plages de longueur d'ondes dites " magiques " où la polarisabilité est la même pour chaque niveau peuplé au cours du transfert adiabatique, permettant ainsi un transfert optimal. Ce formalisme nous a également permis d'obtenir les coefficients Van der Waals de l'interaction à longue portée nécessaires pour étudier les taux de collisions entre molécules.Nous avons réalisé une étude plus détaillée de la molécule RbCs. En étudiant précisément la probabilité de transition de la molécule vers un niveau excité, nous avons proposé un schéma STIRAP pour transférer des molécules de RbCs, initialement dans un niveau vibrationnel excité, vers leur état rovibrationnel fondamental.Ces travaux ont montré l'importance de la connaissance précise de la structure hyperfine de l'état électronique moléculaire excité pour réaliser un gaz dégénéré de molécules dans un état quantique bien défini. Un modèle asymptotique nous a permis d'obtenir une première estimation de la structure hyperfine des courbes d'énergies potentielles des premiers états moléculaires excités des molécules Cs2 et RbCs.

In our pursuit of ever smaller transistors, with greater computational throughput, many questions arise about how material properties change with size, and how these properties may be modelled more accurately. Metallic nanocontacts, especially those for which magnetic properties are important, are of great interest due to their potential spintronic applications. Yet, serious challenges remain from the standpoint of theoretical and computational modelling, particularly with respect to the coupling of the spin and lattice degrees of freedom in ferromagnetic nanocontacts in emerging spintronic technologies. In this thesis, an extended method is developed, and applied for the first time, to model the interplay between magnetism and atomic structure in transition metal nanocontacts. The dynamic evolution of the model contacts emulates the experimental approaches used in scanning tunnelling microscopy and mechanically controllable break junctions, and is realised in this work by classical molecular dynamics and, for the first time, spin-lattice dynamics. The electronic structure of the model contacts is calculated via plane-wave and local-atomic orbital density functional theory, at the scalar- and vector-relativistic level of sophistication. The effects of scalar-relativistic and/or spin-orbit coupling on a number of emergent properties exhibited by transition metal nanocontacts, in experimental measurements of conductance, are elucidated by non-equilibrium Green’s Function quantum transport calculations. The impact of relativistic effects during contact formation in non-magnetic gold is quantified, and it is found that scalar-relativistic effects enhance the force of attraction between gold atoms much more than between between atoms which do not have significant relativistic effects, such as silver atoms. The role of non-collinear magnetism in the electronic transport of iron and nickel nanocontacts is clarified, and it is found that the most-likely conductance values reported for these metals, at first- and lastcontact, are determined by geometrical factors, such as the degree of covalent bonding in iron, and the preference of a certain crystallographic orientation in nickel.
Physics
Ph. D. (Physics)

Four problems in non-equilibrium statistical physics are investigated: 1. The thermodynamics of single-photon gas; 2. Energy of the ground state in Multi-electron atoms; 3. Energy state of the H2 molecule; and 4. The Condensation behavior in N weakly interacting Boson gas. In the single-photon heat engine, we have derived the equation of state similar to that in classical ideal gas and applied it to construct the Carnot cycle with a single photon, and showed the Carnot efficiency in this single-photon heat engine. The energies of the ground state of multi-electron atoms are calculated using the modi ed Bohr model with a shell structure of the bound electrons. The di erential Schrodinger equation is simpli ed into the minimization problem of a simple energy functional, similar to the problem in dimensional scaling in the H-atom. For the C-atom, we got the ground state energy -37:82 eV with a relative error less than 6 %. The simplest molecular ion, H+ 2 , has been investigated by the quasi-classical method and two-center molecular orbit. Using the two-center molecular orbit derived from the exact treatment of the H+ 2 molecular ion problem, we can reduce the number of terms in wavefunction to get the binding energy of the H2 molecule, without using the conventional wavefunction with over-thousand terms. We get the binding energy for the H2 with Hylleraas correlation factor 1 + kr12 as 4:7eV, which is comparable to the experimental value of 4:74 eV. Condensation in the ground state of a weakly interacting Bose gas in equilibrium is investigated using a partial partition function in canonical ensemble. The recursive relation for the partition function developed for an ideal gas has been modi ed to be applicable in the interacting case, and the statistics of the occupation number in condensate states was examined. The well-known behavior of the Bose-Einstein Condensate for a weakly interacting Bose Gas are shown: Depletion of the condensate state, even at zero temperature, and a maximum uctuation near transition temperature. Furthermore, the use of the partition function in canonical ensemble leads to the smooth cross-over between low temperatures and higher temperatures, which has enlarged the applicable range of the Bogoliubov transformation. During the calculation, we also developed the formula to calculate the correlations among the excited states.

Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in light-induced synthetic gauge fields and spaces can provide a highly-tunable platform for quantum simulations. Chapter 1 presents a short introduction to the concepts of BECs and our BEC machine. Chapter 2 introduces some basic ideas of how to use light-matter interactions to create synthetic gauge fields and spaces for neutral atoms. Three main research topics of the thesis are summarized below.

Chapter 3: Recently, using bosonic quasiparticles (including their condensates) as spin carriers in spintronics has become promising for coherent spin transport over macroscopic distances. However, understanding the effects of spin-orbit (SO) coupling and many-body interactions on such a spin transport is barely explored. We study the effects of synthetic SO coupling (which can be turned on and off, not allowed in usual materials) and atomic interactions on the spin transport in an atomic BEC.

Chapter 4: Interplay between matter and fields in physical spaces with nontrivial geometries can lead to phenomena unattainable in planar spaces. However, realizing such spaces is often impeded by experimental challenges. We synthesize real and curved synthetic dimensions into a Hall cylinder for a BEC, which develops symmetry-protected topological states absent in the planar counterpart. Our work opens the door to engineering synthetic gauge fields in spaces with a wide range of geometries and observing novel phenomena inherent to such spaces.

Chapter 5: Rotational properties of a BEC are important to study its superfluidity. Recent studies have found that SO coupling can change a BEC's rotational and superfluid properties, but this topic is barely explored experimentally. We study rotational dynamics of a SO-coupled BEC in an effective rotating frame induced by a synthetic magnetic field. Our work may allow for studying how SO coupling modify a BEC's rotational and superfluid properties.

Chapter 6 presents some possible future directions.