Author
Listed:
- Hui Jiang
(Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Collaborative innovation center for IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
- Juanjuan Zhang
(South China Normal University)
- Tianyu Wang
(Collaborative innovation center for IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
- Jiawei Peng
(South China Normal University)
- Cheng Jin
(Collaborative innovation center for IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
- Xiao Zou
(Collaborative innovation center for IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
- Pengfei Zhu
(Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Collaborative innovation center for IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
- Tao Jiang
(Collaborative innovation center for IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
- Zhenggang Lan
(South China Normal University)
- Haiwang Yong
(University of California San Diego)
- Feng He
(Collaborative innovation center for IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
- Dao Xiang
(Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Collaborative innovation center for IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
Abstract
Conical intersections play a pivotal role in excited-state quantum dynamics. Capturing transient molecular structures near conical intersections remains challenging due to the rapid timescales and subtle structural changes involved. We overcome this by combining the enhanced temporal resolution of mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction with a super-resolution real-space inversion algorithm, enabling visualization of nuclear and electronic motions at conical intersections with sub-angstrom resolution, surpassing the diffraction limit. We apply this technique to the textbook example of the ring-opening reaction of 1,3-cyclohexadiene, which proceeds through two conical intersections within 100 femtoseconds. The super-resolved transient structures near conical intersections reveal a C-C bond length difference of less than 0.4 Å and an approximately 30-femtosecond traversal time of the nuclear wave packet between them. These findings establish super-resolution ultrafast scattering as a transformative tool for uncovering quantum dynamics in molecules and open new avenues for studying light-matter interactions at the most fundamental level.
Suggested Citation
Hui Jiang & Juanjuan Zhang & Tianyu Wang & Jiawei Peng & Cheng Jin & Xiao Zou & Pengfei Zhu & Tao Jiang & Zhenggang Lan & Haiwang Yong & Feng He & Dao Xiang, 2025.
"Super-resolution femtosecond electron diffraction reveals electronic and nuclear dynamics at conical intersections,"
Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
Handle:
RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61975-9
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61975-9
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