Quantum interference between direct and indirect reaction paths in the photodissociation of HOD.

Junyan Wang, Zijie Luo, Linsen Zhou, Xixi Hu, Zhenxing Li, Hua Guo, Shanyu Han, Daiqian Xie, Kaijun Yuan, Xueming Yang

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Article in Nature chemistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Junyan Wang *State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-6440-3851

Zijie Luo *State Key Laboratory of Chemical Reaction Dynamics and Dalian Coherent Light Source, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China.

Linsen ZhouInstitute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, China.

Xixi HuState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1530-3015

Zhenxing LiInstitute of Advanced Light Source Facilities, Shenzhen, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-9266-9191

Hua GuoDepartment of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Computational Chemistry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9901-053X

Shanyu HanInternational Center for Isotope Effects Research, State Key Laboratory of Critical Earth Material Cycling and Mineral Deposits, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. shhan@nju.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5482-6658

Daiqian XieState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. dqxie@nju.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7185-7085

Kaijun YuanState Key Laboratory of Chemical Reaction Dynamics and Dalian Coherent Light Source, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China. kjyuan@dicp.ac.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5108-8984

Xueming YangState Key Laboratory of Chemical Reaction Dynamics and Dalian Coherent Light Source, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6684-9187

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The wave-like nature of quantum particles enables interference effects that can influence the outcomes of chemical reactions; however, most have been observed to occur from two spatially distinct reaction pathways, analogous to Young's double-slit experiment. Here we report detailed experiments on HOD photodissociation that reveal excitation-wavelength-dependent variations in the rotational state distribution of OD(X) product fragments. Full-dimensional quantum calculations reproduce the experimental observations semi-quantitatively, and our analysis attributes this behaviour to dynamical interferences between direct and indirect dissociation paths that both traverse the same conical intersection seam at collinear H-OD geometries, an interference analogous to 'single-slit diffraction' in optics. These observed dynamical signatures demonstrate that interference can manifest even within a single reaction pathway, suggesting a quantum mechanical means to control conical intersection-mediated nonadiabatic dynamics.

Identifiers

PMID41775843

DOI10.1038/s41557-026-02078-w

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