Molecular sensors

The energetic structure of a molecule is determined by the interactions between its components and their quantum mechanical dynamics. It includes mainly the electromagnetic interaction between atomic nuclei and electrons as well as relativistic dynamics. However, other interactions - more exotic for molecular physics - such us the strong nuclear interactions shaping atomic nuclei, noticeably affect the molecular structure as well. Moreover this structure is also affected by interaction with environment. This intrinsic sensitivity of  molecular structure to interactions as well as to coupling with the environment makes them attractive for optical metrology and as sensors of new kinds of interactions or objects not included in the Standard Model. It includes ultra-accurate thermometry, gas composition metrology for remote sensing of green-house gases in the Earth's atmosphere, isotope ratio determination in environmental and medical applications and in the search for life on exoplanets as well as search for new kinds of interactions between hadrons or possible coupling with dark matter.

 

By molecular sensors we mean here: the molecule itself, experimental methodologies of determination of its energetic structure, the theoretical approach needed to properly analyze the experimental data  as well as the experimental setup. This talk is devoted to explain how we are trying to develop such molecular sensors with lightest H₂ and heaviest Hg₂ molecules and what we would like to see.