Representative Publications

Johnson, P. J. M.; Halpin, A.; Morizumi, T.; Prokhorenko, V.; Ernst, O. P.; Miller, R. J. D.: Local vibrational coherences drive the primary photochemistry of vision. Nature Chemistry 7 (12), pp. 980 - 986 (2015)

MPG.PuRe

DOI

Ishikawa, T.; Hayes, S.; Keskin, S.; Corthey, G.; Hada, M.; Pichugin, K.; Marx, A.; Hirscht, J.; Shionuma, K.; Onda, K. et al.; Okimoto, Y.; Koshihara, S.-y.; Yamamoto, T.; Cui, H.; Nomura, M.; Oshima, Y.; Abdel-Jawad, M.; Kato, R.; Miller, R. J. D.: Direct observation of collective modes coupled to molecular orbital–driven charge transfer. Science 350 (6267), pp. 1501 - 1505 (2015)

MPG.PuRe

DOI

Miller, R. J. D.:

Mapping Atomic Motions with Ultrabright Electrons: The Chemists' Gedanken Experiment Enters the Lab Frame.

Annual Review of Physical Chemistry 65, pp. 583-604 (2014)

Source

Jean-Ruel, H.; Gao, M.; Kochman, M. A.; Lu, C.; Liu, L. C.; Cooney, R. R.; Morrison, C. A.; Miller, R. J. D.:

Ring-Closing Reaction in Diarylethene Captured by Femtosecond Electron Crystallography.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 117 (49), pp. 15894-15902 (2013)

This work represents a milestone as it was able to resolve the specific reaction modes involved in ring cyclization with conserved stereochemistry – for even weakly scattering organic systems. This work could be argued to be the first true molecular movie of chemical reaction.

Source

Sciaini, G.; Harb, M.; Kruglik, S. G.; Payer, T.; Hebeisen, C.T.; Meyer zu Heringdorf, F.-J.; Yamaguchi, M.; Horn-von Hoegen, M.; Ernstorfer, R.; Miller, R. J. D.:

Electronic acceleration of atomic motions and disordering in bismuth

Nature 458, pp. 56-59 (2009)

Effectively, single shot atomic resolution achieved to make a movie of the fastest structural change yet observed (faster than the primary step in vision, .03 rms motions). Optical modification of the potential energy surface electronically drives melting phase transition faster than a ½ vibrational period – first observation of ballistic melting (collision free/direct transformation).

Source

Ernstorfer, R.; Harb,M.; Hebeisen, C.T.; Sciaini, G.; Dartigalongue,T.; Miller, R. J. D.:

The Formation of Warm Dense Matter: Experimental Evidence for Electronic Bond Hardening in Gold

Science 323 (5917), pp. 1033-1037 (2009)

First atomically resolved structure of warm dense matter that resolved a long standing controversy over the state of matter under these conditions. This work demonstrated the power of this approach to probe rarefied states of matter.

Source

Harb, M.; Ernstorfer, R.; Hebeisen, C. T.; Sciaini, G.; Peng, W.; Dartigalongue, T.; Eriksson, M. A.; Lagally, M. G.; Kruglik, S. G.; Miller, R. J. D.:

Electronically Driven Structure Changes of Si Captured by Femtosecond Electron Diffraction

Physical Review Letters 100, pp. 155504 (2008)

Source

Prokhorenko, V. I.; Nagy, A. M.; Waschuk, S. A.; Brown, L. S.; Birge, R. R.; Miller, R. J. D.:

Coherent Control of Retinal Isomerization in Bacteriorhodopsin

Science 313 (5791), pp. 1257-1261 (2006)

Opened new field of weak field coherent control, addressed long standing issue of quantum coherence in biological systems, and with recent theoretical support highlighted a fundamental difference for coherent control for closed and open quantum systems.

Source

Cowan, M. L.; Bruner, B. D.; Huse, N.; Dwyer, J. R.; Chugh, B.; Nibbering, E. T. J.; Elsaesser, T.; Miller, R. J. D.:

Ultrafast memory loss and energy redistribution in the hydrogen bond network of liquid H₂O

Nature 434, pp. 199-202 (2005)

Solved 100 year old problem in spectroscopy, and provided directly the intermolecular couplings involved in the hydrogen bond network that imparts water’s special properties.

Source

Siwick, B. J.; Dwyer, J. R.; Jordan, R. E.; Miller, R. J. D.:

An Atomic-Level View of Melting Using Femtosecond Electron Diffraction

Science 302 (5649), pp. 1382-1385 (2003)

First direct observation of atomic motions on the relevant timescale – First “Molecular Movie”.

Source