Dynamics of a light-driven molecular rotary motor in an optical cavity

Abstract Light-driven rotary molecular motors transform the energy of light to mechanical motion (rotation) of one part of the molecule with respect to another. For a long while, various stimuli orthogonal to the motor’s source of energy were used to manipulate its operational characteristics; such...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: In Seong Lee, Michael Filatov, Seung Kyu Min
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59607-3
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850154856487059456
author In Seong Lee
Michael Filatov
Seung Kyu Min
author_facet In Seong Lee
Michael Filatov
Seung Kyu Min
author_sort In Seong Lee
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Light-driven rotary molecular motors transform the energy of light to mechanical motion (rotation) of one part of the molecule with respect to another. For a long while, various stimuli orthogonal to the motor’s source of energy were used to manipulate its operational characteristics; such as the speed of rotation. However, these stimuli employed predominantly chemical means and were difficult to apply in situ during the motor’s operation. Here, we show that the characteristics of the excited state decay in molecular motor molecules can be altered due to strong light-matter interactions occurring in optical cavities. By performing nonadiabatic simulations of the motor’s photodynamics in the presence of strong coupling with a cavity mode, we find that the coupling with a mode detuned off resonance with the molecular optical transition offers a means to considerably increase the excited state decay lifetime and to either inhibit or slow down the motor’s rotation.
format Article
id doaj-art-9ee8496f6dca4dd7b847fe8ca922dfc3
institution OA Journals
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-9ee8496f6dca4dd7b847fe8ca922dfc32025-08-20T02:25:08ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-0116111610.1038/s41467-025-59607-3Dynamics of a light-driven molecular rotary motor in an optical cavityIn Seong Lee0Michael Filatov1Seung Kyu Min2Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM), Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM), Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM), Institute for Basic Science (IBS)Abstract Light-driven rotary molecular motors transform the energy of light to mechanical motion (rotation) of one part of the molecule with respect to another. For a long while, various stimuli orthogonal to the motor’s source of energy were used to manipulate its operational characteristics; such as the speed of rotation. However, these stimuli employed predominantly chemical means and were difficult to apply in situ during the motor’s operation. Here, we show that the characteristics of the excited state decay in molecular motor molecules can be altered due to strong light-matter interactions occurring in optical cavities. By performing nonadiabatic simulations of the motor’s photodynamics in the presence of strong coupling with a cavity mode, we find that the coupling with a mode detuned off resonance with the molecular optical transition offers a means to considerably increase the excited state decay lifetime and to either inhibit or slow down the motor’s rotation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59607-3
spellingShingle In Seong Lee
Michael Filatov
Seung Kyu Min
Dynamics of a light-driven molecular rotary motor in an optical cavity
Nature Communications
title Dynamics of a light-driven molecular rotary motor in an optical cavity
title_full Dynamics of a light-driven molecular rotary motor in an optical cavity
title_fullStr Dynamics of a light-driven molecular rotary motor in an optical cavity
title_full_unstemmed Dynamics of a light-driven molecular rotary motor in an optical cavity
title_short Dynamics of a light-driven molecular rotary motor in an optical cavity
title_sort dynamics of a light driven molecular rotary motor in an optical cavity
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59607-3
work_keys_str_mv AT inseonglee dynamicsofalightdrivenmolecularrotarymotorinanopticalcavity
AT michaelfilatov dynamicsofalightdrivenmolecularrotarymotorinanopticalcavity
AT seungkyumin dynamicsofalightdrivenmolecularrotarymotorinanopticalcavity