Quantifying Charge Migration Speed in Molecules

Researchers have developed a method to measure the speed of charge migration (CM) in molecules, discovering that it can move several angstroms per femtosecond. This breakthrough research provides insights into ultrafast molecular dynamics and potential control over chemical reactions. By using a high harmonic spectroscopy (HHS) method, the team measured CM speed in a carbon-chain molecule and achieved a temporal resolution of 50 attoseconds. The study sheds light on the complexities of CM and offers a promising way to manipulate the rate of chemical reactions.