Atomic and molecular structure as a research area investigates the spatial arrangement, electronic configuration, and intrinsic quantum properties of atoms and molecules, and how these features determine their spectroscopic, chemical, and physical behavior. It encompasses theoretical and computational methods (e.g., ab initio quantum chemistry, density functional theory, configuration interaction) and experimental techniques (e.g., high-resolution spectroscopy, scattering, synchrotron and XFEL-based probes) to resolve electronic states, bonding patterns, potential energy surfaces, and correlation effects. This field underpins understanding of reactivity, photophysics, materials properties, and the design of novel molecules, clusters, and nanostructures with targeted electronic and structural characteristics.
For years, C130 fullertubes—molecules made up of 130 carbon atoms—have existed only in theory. Now, leading an international team of scientists, a UdeM doctoral student in physics has successfully shown them in real life—and ...
Nanophysics
Mar 27, 2024
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48
Researchers have unveiled the extraordinary behavior of weakly-bound three-atomic molecules, defying conventional understanding of quantum mechanics. In a study recently published in Nature Communications, a team of scientists ...
Quantum Physics
Mar 14, 2024
1
76
Physicists at the University of Regensburg have choreographed the shift of a quantized electronic energy level with atomic oscillations faster than a trillionth of a second.
Optics & Photonics
Mar 14, 2024
0
2914
The simplest possible molecule H2+ was one of the very first molecules to form in the cosmos. This makes it significant for astrophysics, but also an important object of research for fundamental physics. However, it is difficult ...
Optics & Photonics
Feb 27, 2024
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24
There is no doubt that water is significant. Without it, life would never have begun, let alone continue today—not to mention its role in the environment itself, with oceans covering over 70% of Earth.
General Physics
Feb 26, 2024
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1241
In an experiment akin to stop-motion photography, scientists have isolated the energetic movement of an electron while "freezing" the motion of the much larger atom it orbits in a sample of liquid water.
General Physics
Feb 15, 2024
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5509
High-entropy alloys can withstand extreme heat and stress, making them suitable for a variety of specific applications. A new study at the X-ray synchrotron radiation source BESSY II has now provided deeper insights into ...
Nanomaterials
Jan 30, 2024
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7
In chemistry, structure is everything. Compounds with the same chemical formula can have different properties depending on the arrangement of the molecules they're made of. And compounds with a different chemical formula ...
Nanophysics
Jan 24, 2024
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2
Historically, JILA (a joint institute established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST] and the University of Colorado Boulder) has been a world leader in precision timekeeping using optical atomic ...
Quantum Physics
Jan 15, 2024
3
72
For the first time, a research team has succeeded in stabilizing and directly imaging small clusters of noble gas atoms at room temperature. This achievement opens exciting possibilities for condensed matter physics and applications ...
Condensed Matter
Jan 11, 2024
1
3920
