The rovibrational Aharonov-Bohm effect

TL;DR

This paper introduces a rovibrational Aharonov-Bohm effect in molecular chemistry, showing how molecular rotation affects vibrational dynamics similarly to magnetic flux influence, exemplified by the H5+ ion.

Contribution

It presents a novel manifestation of the Aharonov-Bohm effect in molecular rovibrational spectra, linking rotation and vibrational dynamics in symmetric-top molecules.

Findings

Rovibrational energy levels of H5+ are explained by the effect.

Rotation influences vibrational motion akin to magnetic flux effects.

The effect provides a new perspective on molecular spectroscopy.

Abstract

Another manifestation of the Aharonov-Bohm effect is introduced to chemistry, in fact to nuclear dynamics and high-resolution molecular spectroscopy. As demonstrated, the overall rotation of a symmetric-top molecule influences the dynamics of an internal vibrational motion in a way that is analogous to the presence of a solenoid carrying magnetic flux. To a good approximation, the low-energy rovibrational energy-level structure of the quasistructural molecular ion H5+ can be understood entirely in terms of this effect.