Strong quadrupole interaction of light with molecules and its manifestation in surface-enhanced hyper-Raman scattering spectra

Abstract

The possibility of the giant enhancement of hyper-Raman scattering by molecules adsorbed on rough metal surfaces is demonstrated. The theory is based on the qualitative consideration of electromagnetic field enhancement near some model rough surfaces and individual irregularities, as well as on the quantum-mechanical features of dipole and quadrupole interactions of light with molecules (as in the theory of surface-enhanced Raman scattering), proposed by the author. A consideration of symmetric molecules makes it possible to obtain selection rules for surface-enhanced hyper-Raman scattering (SEHRS) spectra and establish such a regularity as the occurrence of strong forbidden lines (which are due to totally symmetric vibrations); these lines are transformed according to unitary irreducible representation in molecules with the symmetry groups Cnh, D, and higher. An analysis of the data in the literature for trans-1,2-bis (4-pyridyl)ethylene and pyridine molecules shows that their spectra can be explained in terms of the dipole-quadrupole theory of SEHRS. At the same time, the analysis of the SEHRS spectra of pyrazine revealed the presence of strong forbidden bands due to totally symmetric vibrations. This finding substantiated the proposed theory, which makes it possible to interpret the entire spectrum in detail. These results are in good agreement with the general mechanism of the optical effects enhanced by molecules adsorbed on metal surfaces, which was developed by the author.