Dmitri Babikov

Accuracy of gates in a quantum computer based on vibrational eigenstates.

A model is developed to study the properties of a quantum computer that uses vibrational eigenstates of molecules to implement the quantum information bits and shaped laser pulses to apply the quantum logic gates. Particular emphasis of this study is on understanding how the different factors, such as properties of the molecule and of the pulse, can be used to affect the accuracy of quantum gates in such a system. Optimal control theory and numerical time-propagation of vibrational wave packets are employed to obtain the shaped pulses for the gates NOT and Hadamard transform. The effects of the anharmonicity parameter of the molecule, the target time of the pulse and of the penalty function are investigated. Influence of all these parameters on the accuracy of qubit transformations is observed and explained. It is shown that when all these parameters are carefully chosen the accuracy of quantum gates reaches 99.9%.

Cyclic-N3. II. Significant geometric phase effects in the vibrational spectra.

An accurate theoretical prediction of the vibrational spectra for a pure nitrogen ring (cyclic-N(3)) molecule is obtained up to the energy of the (2)A(2)/(2)B(1) conical intersection. A coupled-channel approach using the hyperspherical coordinates and the recently published ab initio potential energy surface [D. Babikov, P. Zhang, and K. Morokuma, J. Chem. Phys. 121, 6743 (2004)] is employed. Two independent sets of calculations are reported: In the first set, the standard Born-Oppenheimer approximation is used and the geometric phase effects are totally neglected. In the second set, the generalized Born-Oppenhimer approximation is used and the geometric phase effects due to the D(3h) conical intersection are accurately treated. All vibrational states are analyzed and assigned in terms of the normal vibration mode quantum numbers. The magnitude of the geometric phase effect is determined for each state. One important finding is an unusually large magnitude of the geometric phase effects in the cyclic-N(3): it is approximately 100 cm(-1) for the low-lying vibrational states and exceeds 600 cm(-1) for several upper states. On average, this is almost two orders of magnitude larger than in the previously reported studies. This unique example suggests a favorable path to experimental validation.

Cyclic-N3. I. An accurate potential energy surface for the ground doublet electronic state up to the energy of the 2A2/2B1 conical intersection

A sophisticated adiabatic ground electronic state potential energy surface for a pure nitrogen ring (cyclic-N3) molecule is constructed based on extensive high-level ab initio calculations and accurate three-dimensional spline representation. Most of the important features of the potential energy surface are presented using various reduced dimensionality slices in internal hyperspherical coordinates as well as full dimensional isoenergy surfaces. Very significant geometric phase effects are predicted in the spectra of rotational-vibrational states of cyclic-N3.

Conical and glancing Jahn-Teller intersections in the cyclic trinitrogen cation

The ground and electronically excited states of cyclic N(3) (+) are characterized at the equilibrium D(3h) geometry and along the Jahn-Teller distortions. Lowest excited states are derived from single excitations from the doubly degenerate highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) to the doubly degenerate lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs), which give rise to two exactly and two nearly degenerate states. The interaction of two degenerate states with two other states eliminates linear terms and results in a glancing rather than conical Jahn-Teller intersection. HOMO-2-->LUMOs excitations give rise to two regular Jahn-Teller states. Optimized structures, vertical and adiabatic excitation energies, frequencies, and ionization potential (IP) are presented. IP is estimated to be 10.595 eV, in agreement with recent experiments.

On molecular origin of mass-independent fractionation of oxygen isotopes in the ozone forming recombination reaction

Theoretical treatment of ozone forming reaction is developed within the framework of mixed quantum/classical dynamics. Formation and stabilization steps of the energy transfer mechanism are both studied, which allows simultaneous capture of the delta zero-point energy effect and η-effect and identification of the molecular level origin of mass-independent isotope fractionation. The central role belongs to scattering resonances; dependence of their lifetimes on rotational excitation, asymmetry; and connection of their vibrational wave functions to two different reaction channels. Calculations, performed within the dimensionally reduced model of ozone, are in semiquantitative agreement with experiment.

Mixed quantum-classical theory for the collisional energy transfer and the rovibrational energy flow: Application to ozone stabilization

A mixed quantum-classical approach to the description of collisional energy transfer is proposed in which the vibrational motion of an energized molecule is treated quantum mechanically using wave packets, while the collisional motion of the molecule and quencher and the rotational motion of the molecule are treated using classical trajectories. This accounts rigorously for quantization of vibrational states, zero-point energy, scattering resonances, and permutation symmetry of identical atoms, while advantage is taken of the classical scattering regime. Energy is exchanged between vibrational, rotational, and translational degrees of freedom while the total energy is conserved. Application of this method to stabilization of the van der Waals states in ozone is presented. Examples of mixed quantum-classical trajectories are discussed, including an interesting example of supercollision. When combined with an efficient grid mapping procedure and the reduced dimensionality approximation, the method becomes very affordable computationally.

The photoelectron spectrum of elusive cyclic-N3 and characterization of the potential energy surface and vibrational states of the ion

A potential energy surface is constructed for the ground X (1)A(1) electronic state of cyclic-N(3) (+) based on three-dimensional spline interpolation of ab initio points. The vibrational states of this molecular ion are calculated in the range up to 14 500 cm(-1) using hyperspherical coordinates and the coupled-channel (sector-adiabatic) approach. All the vibrational states are analyzed and assigned. The Franck-Condon overlaps of these states with the vibrational states of the neutral are calculated to predict the photoelectron spectrum of cyclic-N(3). Peak intensities are governed by the nodal structure of the vibrational wave functions and reflect the large geometric phase effect predicted for cyclic-N(3). Experimental validation may shed light on the existence of this elusive molecule and confirm the magnitude of the geometric phase effect.

Phase control in the vibrational qubit

In order to use molecular vibrations for quantum information processing one should be able to shape infrared laser pulses so that they can play the role of accurate quantum gates and drive the required vibrational transitions. In this paper we studied theoretically how the relative phase of the optimized transitions affects accuracy of the quantum gates in such a system. Optimal control theory and numerical propagation of laser-driven vibrational wave packets were employed. The dependencies observed for one-qubit gates NOT, pi-rotation, and Hadamard transform are qualitatively similar to each other. The results of the numerical tests agree well with the analytical predictions.

Collisional stabilization of van der Waals states of ozone

The mixed quantum-classical theory developed earlier [M. Ivanov and D. Babikov, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 144107 (2011)] is employed to treat the collisional energy transfer and the ro-vibrational energy flow in a recombination reaction that forms ozone. Assumption is that the van der Waals states of ozone are formed in the O + O(2) collisions, and then stabilized into the states of covalent well by collisions with bath gas. Cross sections for collision induced dissociation of van der Waals states of ozone, for their stabilization into the covalent well, and for their survival in the van der Waals well are computed. The role these states may play in the kinetics of ozone formation is discussed.

Global permutationally invariant potential energy surface for ozone forming reaction

We constructed new global potential energy surface for O + O2 → O3 reaction. It is based on high level electronic structure theory calculations and employs fitting by permutationally invariant polynomial functions. This method of surface construction takes full advantage of permutation symmetry of three O nuclei and allows reducing dramatically the number of ab initio data points needed for accurate surface representation. New potential energy surface offers dramatic improvement over older surface of ozone in terms of dissociation energy and behavior along the minimum energy path. It can be used to refine the existing theories of ozone formation.