TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Eric Wolfgang A1 - Werther, Michael A1 - Bouakline, Foudhil A1 - Grossmann, Frank A1 - Saalfrank, Peter T1 - Non-Markovian vibrational relaxation dynamics at surfaces JF - The journal of chemical physics : bridges a gap between journals of physics and journals of chemistr N2 - Vibrational dynamics of adsorbates near surfaces plays both an important role for applied surface science and as a model lab for studying fundamental problems of open quantum systems. We employ a previously developed model for the relaxation of a D-Si-Si bending mode at a D:Si(100)-(2 x 1) surface, induced by a "bath " of more than 2000 phonon modes [Lorenz and P. Saalfrank, Chem. Phys. 482, 69 (2017)], to extend previous work along various directions. First, we use a Hierarchical Effective Mode (HEM) model [Fischer et al., J. Chem. Phys. 153, 064704 (2020)] to study relaxation of higher excited vibrational states than hitherto done by solving a high-dimensional system-bath time-dependent Schrodinger equation (TDSE). In the HEM approach, (many) real bath modes are replaced by (much less) effective bath modes. Accordingly, we are able to examine scaling laws for vibrational relaxation lifetimes for a realistic surface science problem. Second, we compare the performance of the multilayer multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree (ML-MCTDH) approach with that of the recently developed coherent-state-based multi-Davydov-D2 Ansatz [Zhou et al., J. Chem. Phys. 143, 014113 (2015)]. Both approaches work well, with some computational advantages for the latter in the presented context. Third, we apply open-system density matrix theory in comparison with basically "exact " solutions of the multi-mode TDSEs. Specifically, we use an open-system Liouville-von Neumann (LvN) equation treating vibration-phonon coupling as Markovian dissipation in Lindblad form to quantify effects beyond the Born-Markov approximation. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing. KW - phonons KW - Vibrational states KW - Chemical dynamics KW - Adsorption KW - Surface science KW - Open quantum systems KW - Density-matrix KW - Coherent states KW - Markov processes Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0092836 SN - 0021-9606 SN - 1089-7690 SN - 1520-9032 VL - 156 IS - 21 PB - AIP Publishing CY - Melville ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Eric Wolfgang A1 - Anders, Janet A1 - Saalfrank, Peter T1 - Cavity-altered thermal isomerization rates and dynamical resonant localization in vibro-polaritonic chemistry JF - The journal of chemical physics : bridges a gap between journals of physics and journals of chemistr N2 - It has been experimentally demonstrated that reaction rates for molecules embedded in microfluidic optical cavities are altered when compared to rates observed under "ordinary" reaction conditions. However, precise mechanisms of how strong coupling of an optical cavity mode to molecular vibrations affects the reactivity and how resonance behavior emerges are still under dispute. In the present work, we approach these mechanistic issues from the perspective of a thermal model reaction, the inversion of ammonia along the umbrella mode, in the presence of a single-cavity mode of varying frequency and coupling strength. A topological analysis of the related cavity Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surface in combination with quantum mechanical and transition state theory rate calculations reveals two quantum effects, leading to decelerated reaction rates in qualitative agreement with experiments: the stiffening of quantized modes perpendicular to the reaction path at the transition state, which reduces the number of thermally accessible reaction channels, and the broadening of the barrier region, which attenuates tunneling. We find these two effects to be very robust in a fluctuating environment, causing statistical variations of potential parameters, such as the barrier height. Furthermore, by solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation in the vibrational strong coupling regime, we identify a resonance behavior, in qualitative agreement with experimental and earlier theoretical work. The latter manifests as reduced reaction probability when the cavity frequency omega(c) is tuned resonant to a molecular reactant frequency. We find this effect to be based on the dynamical localization of the vibro-polaritonic wavepacket in the reactant well. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0076434 SN - 0021-9606 SN - 1089-7690 VL - 156 IS - 15 PB - American Institute of Physics CY - Melville, NY ER -