Polaritonic chemistry
Polaritonic chemistry is an emergent interdisciplinary field in which the strong interaction of organic molecules with the electromagnetic field is exploited in order to manipulate the chemical structure and reactions of the system. In this strong coupling regime, the interaction with the electromagnetic vacuum oblige us to redefine the concept of the molecule.
The picture above is an idealized representation of a typical experiment where organic molecules are embedded inside of an optical microcavity. This can greatly enhance the interaction between the molecules and the electromagnetic field, impacting the molecular energy structure, represented as some energy surfaces in the zoom.
My thesis builds on the foundations of chemistry and quantum electrodynamics in order to provide a satisfactory theoretical framework to describe these organic light-matter hybrids. By fully embracing the structural complexity of molecules, this theory allows to employ long-established quantum chemistry methods to understand polaritonic chemistry. This leads to predictions of substantial structural changes in organic molecules and the possibility of significantly influencing chemical reactions both in the excited and ground states of the system.