Quantum dynamics of laser- and field-induced desorption of molecules from metal surfaces

Abstract

The desorption of adspecies from surfaces by laser radiation or static electric fields is an important subject for the microstructuring of materials and a challenge to theory: Not only the excitation mechanism, but also the subsequent, ultrafast dynamics in a dissipative environment, needs to be properly described. After a brief review on previous work, in this work a few new issues concerning the laser- or field-induced desorption of molecules from metal surfaces [NO from Pt(111), and NH3 from Cu(111)] will be addressed with the help of open-system density matrix theory and wave packet propagation methods. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 80: 210–219, 2000