We demonstrate for the first time using a combination of the Hartree?Fock approximation and the symmetry adapted cluster theory with configuration interaction (SAC-CI) that multiple excitons (ME) in PbSe and CdSe quantum dots (QD) can be generated directly upon photoexcitation. At energies 2.5?3 times the lowest excitation, almost all optically excited states in Pb4Se4 become MEs, while both single excitons and MEs are seen in Cd6Se6. We analyze the high-level SAC-CI results of the small clusters based on the band structure and then extend our band structure analysis to Pb68Se68, Pb180Se180, Cd33Se33, and Cd111Se111. Our results explain the ultrafast generation of MEs without the need for a phonon relaxation bottleneck and clarify why PbSe is particularly suitable for generation of MEs. Efficient exciton multiplication can be used to considerably increase the efficiency of QD-based solar cells.

Oriented achiral molecules and crystals with D(2d) symmetry or one of its non-enantiomorphous subgroups, S(4), C(2v), or C(s), can rotate the plane of transmitted polarized light incident in a general direction. This well-established fact of crystal optics is contrary to the teaching of optical activity to students of organic chemistry. This Minireview gives an overview of the measurement and calculation of the chiroptical properties of some achiral compounds and crystals. Methane derivatives with four identical ligands related by reflection symmetry are quintessential optically inactive compounds according to the logic of van’t Hoff. Analysis of the optical activity of simple achiral compounds such as H(2)O and NH(3) provides general aspects of chiroptics that are not readily broached when considering chiral compounds exclusively. We show here, through the use of group theoretical arguments, the transformation properties of tensors, and diagrams, why some achiral, acentric compounds are optically active while others are not.

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations of the optical rotatory response of a single oriented water molecule are described. The unique tensor element g(xy) was computed to be -0.047 bohr(3) with CCSD/6-311+G(d,p). A value of -0.033 was obtained with the minimal valence basis that was better suited to parsing the rotatory response among a limited number of excited states. Transition moments were calculated ab initio and qualitatively derived from the wave functions. Rotations were reckoned from the relative dispositions of the transition moments with respect to the wavevectors. In this way, it was possible to intuitively reckon the form of the optical rotation tensor consistent with that from higher levels of theory and to establish which excitations make the most significant contributions.

The prediction of nonlinear electro-optic (EO) behavior of molecules with quantum methods is the first step in the development of organic-based electro-optic devices. Typical EO molecules may require calculations with several hundred electrons, which prevents all but the fastest methods (semiempirical and density functional theory (DFT)) from being used for EO estimation. To test the reliability of these methods, we compare dipole moments, polarizabilities, and first-order hyperpolarizabilities for a wide range of structures of experimental interest with Hartree-Fock (HF), intermediate neglect of differential overlap (INDO), and DFT methods. The relative merits of molecules are consistently predictable with every method.

An ab initio direct Ehrenfest dynamics method with time-dependent density functional theory is introduced and applied to collisions of 5 eV oxygen atoms and ions with graphite clusters. Collisions at three different sites are simulated. Kinetic energy transfer from the atomic oxygen to graphite local vibrations is observed and electron-nuclear coupling resulting in electronic excitation within the graphite surface as well as alteration of the atomic charge is first reported in this paper. The three oxygen species studied, O(3P), O-(2P), and O+(4S), deposit different amounts of energy to the surface, with the highest degree of damage to the pi conjugation of the cluster produced by the atomic oxygen cation. Memory of the initial charge state is not lost as the atom approaches, in contrast to the usual assumption.

We investigated the nature of the ground state and static response properties (mu, alpha, and beta) for a promising class of twisted pi-electron system nonlinear optical chromophores at the HF, B3LYP, MP2, and CASSCF levels. We report results for a substituted twisted ethylene and a larger tictoid analogue. Previous work has reported only a zwitterionic character for such tictoid species, however, (14,13) CASSCF calculations predict a ground-state diradical. At the HF, B3LYP, MP2, and (14,13) CASSCF levels, the values of beta are orders of magnitude smaller than those predicted by semiempirical methods.

The optical rotatory power of achiral crystals of achiral pentaerythritol molecules was measured. The maximum rotations were found to be +/-6 degrees /mm. The quantum mechanically computed rotation of pentaerythritol molecules using linear response theory was 6 times larger although the experimental and theoretical tensors were similarly oriented to within 5 degrees .

The influence of rotational and geometrical isomerism on the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, specifically the first-order hyperpolarizability beta, of chromophores of current interest has been investigated with density functional theory (DFT). In the first of this two-part study, the rotational isomerism of a linear chromophore was explored. Calculation of the torsion potentials about two of the rotatable and conformation-changing single bonds in a chromophore demonstrated the near equality of the molecular energies at 0 degrees and 180 degrees rotational angles. To explore the consequences of this near conformational energy degeneracy to NLO behavior, the eight low energy rotational isomers of FTC [Robinson, B. H.; et al. Chem. Phys. 1999, 245, 35] were investigated. This study provides the first-reported DFT-based calculation of the statistical mechanical average of beta over the conformational space of a molecule having substantial nonlinear optical behavior. The influence of the solvent reaction field on rotameric populations and on the beta tensor is reported. In the second part, two molecules having two donors and two acceptors bonded respectively in ortho and meta positions on a central benzene ring are shown to have substantially different beta tensors. These two so-called molecular Xs have different highest occupied molecular orbital to lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) distributions, and consistent with expectations, it is found that the larger beta(zzz) is associated with a large spatial asymmetry between the HOMOs and LUMOs. Large hyperpolarizability correlates with the HOMO concentrated on the donor groups and the LUMO on the acceptor groups.