COCOCIMO | Coherent Control of Chiral Molecules

Summary
The ambitious goal of this project is to create an enantiomer-pure beam of chiral molecules, starting from a racemic sample, using an experimental coherent state preparation scheme.
The basic elements of the proposed experiments are the following.
A cold, gas-phase beam of chiral molecules is created via supersonic jet expansion. Two levels of a triad of rotational states that are connected via electric dipole allowed transitions are emptied using resonant UV depletion in combination with simultaneous microwave repumping.
Driving a closed triad of rotational transitions using microwaves prepares a chosen internal quantum state of the chiral molecules enantiomer-specifically. This is called enantiomer-specific state transfer; a new method, that I co-developed. After coherence preparation using collimation, state-selective matter-wave diffraction is accomplished using a resonant, absorptive optical grating.
The diffracted enantiomer-pure beam is detected state-selectively using 2D planar laser-induced fluorescence detection.
Eventually, this beam can be used for further spectroscopic or scattering studies or for depositing the enantiopure sample on a surface.
The scheme that is to be demonstrated in COCOCIMO will be applicable to any chiral molecule.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101116866
Start date: 01-01-2024
End date: 31-12-2028
Total budget - Public funding: 1 809 735,00 Euro - 1 809 735,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

The ambitious goal of this project is to create an enantiomer-pure beam of chiral molecules, starting from a racemic sample, using an experimental coherent state preparation scheme.
The basic elements of the proposed experiments are the following.
A cold, gas-phase beam of chiral molecules is created via supersonic jet expansion. Two levels of a triad of rotational states that are connected via electric dipole allowed transitions are emptied using resonant UV depletion in combination with simultaneous microwave repumping.
Driving a closed triad of rotational transitions using microwaves prepares a chosen internal quantum state of the chiral molecules enantiomer-specifically. This is called enantiomer-specific state transfer; a new method, that I co-developed. After coherence preparation using collimation, state-selective matter-wave diffraction is accomplished using a resonant, absorptive optical grating.
The diffracted enantiomer-pure beam is detected state-selectively using 2D planar laser-induced fluorescence detection.
Eventually, this beam can be used for further spectroscopic or scattering studies or for depositing the enantiopure sample on a surface.
The scheme that is to be demonstrated in COCOCIMO will be applicable to any chiral molecule.

Status

SIGNED

Call topic

ERC-2023-STG

Update Date

12-03-2024
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Horizon Europe
HORIZON.1 Excellent Science
HORIZON.1.1 European Research Council (ERC)
HORIZON.1.1.0 Cross-cutting call topics
ERC-2023-STG ERC STARTING GRANTS
HORIZON.1.1.1 Frontier science
ERC-2023-STG ERC STARTING GRANTS