Instanton theory extended to describe quantum tunnelling through a conical intersection

Figure

Source: © Jeremy Richardson/ETH Zürich

Quantum pathfinding cuts computational burden and offers fresh insights

Theoreticians have developed a new method for calculating molecular transition rates on non-trivial energy landscapes. Their slimline approach not only reduces intractable many-body mechanics to manageable computations, but also lets them quantify the individual phenomena that assist or hinder transitions.