Vibronic Coupling and Electron-Phonon Interactions in Molecules and Crystals: XXIII International Symposium on the Jahn-Teller Effect

Abstract

ForewordThis issue of J. Phys. Conf. Series contains the proceedings of the 23rd International Symposium on the Jahn-Teller Effect with the main title “Vibronic coupling and electron-phonon interaction in molecules and crystals”, which took place in Tartu (Estonia), August 27-September 1, 2016, bringing together over 70 participants from various fields of physics and chemistry. More information on the symposium program can be found at https://ttl.ut.ee/jt16/.The series of mostly biannual Jahn-Teller symposia started in 1976. It addresses topics involving the coupling between electronic and nuclear motions in molecules and solids in conditions of electronic degeneracy and pseudodegeneracy. The Jahn-Teller effect, pseudo Jahn-Teller effect, and related vibronic coupling and electron-phonon interactions are responsible for structural instabilities and non-trivial dynamics in polyatomic systems, including pseudo-rotations and non-adiabatic effects around conical intersections and seams, and play a key role in the explanation of seemingly diverse phenomena, such as spontaneous symmetry breakings, structural phase transitions, colossal magnetoresistance, exotic molecular magnetism, superconductivity in fullerides, giant permittivity and flexoelectricity, and chemical reactions after thermo- or photoexcitation. The meeting brings together theoreticians and experimentalists working in molecular physics and chemistry with researches working in solid state physics.A characteristic of these symposia is that they are devoted to discussion of a wide range of physical and chemical phenomena which, at first sight, are different in scope and nature, but in fact they are strongly entangled by vibronic coupling, and their joint presentation and discussion is deemed to mutually enrich the presenters from different fields with stimulating novel ideas.The 23rd Symposium included the following topics:• Fundamental theory, computation, and experimental observation of vibronic coupling Jahn-Teller (JT), pseudo JT (PJT), and Renner-Teller effects• Vibronic coupling effects in structural, reactivity, and spectroscopy properties of molecules and clusters, fullerenes and fullerides, graphene, silicene, and related systems• Conical intersections, geometric phase effects, and nonadiabatic dynamics on intersecting potential energy surfaces; implications in photophysical and decay processes• Local and cooperative JT and PJT effects and electron-phonon interactions in solids: impurity centers, ferroelectrics, multiferroics, topological insulators, superconductors, spin-orbital and spin-crossover effects• Further applications of the JT and PJT effects in materials science: spintronics, magnetic-dipolar bistability, molecular magnets, permittivity, flexoelectricity, and electrostriction.The Proceedings contain contributions that reflect all the above topics.We gladly acknowledge support from institutional research funding IUT2-27 of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, and from European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (project EU49695).Vladimir Hizhnyakov, University of Tartu, EstoniaIsaac Bersuker, University of Texas at Austin, USAPablo García-Fernández, University of Cantabria, Spain