Molecular parity violation in electronically excited states

Abstract

One of the greatest challenges in the field of molecular physics is the still outstanding measurement of the parity violating energy difference (ΔE_pv) which electroweak theory predicts to exist between the enantiomers of chiral molecules. Apparently, previous attempts to detect signals of parity violation in molecules almost exclusively focused on electronic ground state systems. But as this study reveals, there are good reasons to believe that compounds which are chiral in an electronically excited state are particularly suited for a possible proof of molecular parity violation. Here, first calculations of the parity violating energy difference in electronically excited states are presented and routes to its measurement are discussed.