English

Quantum electrodynamic description of the neutral hydrogen molecule ionization

Quantum Physics 2025-11-27 v1

Abstract

The ionization dynamics of a hydrogen molecule, serving as a fundamental benchmark in quantum chemistry, is investigated within a comprehensive framework combining quantum electrodynamics and the Lindblad master equation. This approach enables a first-principles description of light--matter interactions while accounting for dissipative processes and external particle influx. We systematically explore the system's evolution across three distinct regimes: closed, dissipative open, and influx-driven open quantum systems. Our results reveal a universal tendency towards the formation of the neutral hydrogen molecule (H2|\rm{H}_2\rangle) across all configurations. The dissipation strengths for photons (γΩ\gamma_\Omega), electrons (γe\gamma_e), and phonons (γω\gamma_\omega) are identified as critical control parameters, with γΩ\gamma_\Omega significantly accelerating system stabilization. Furthermore, the introduction of particle influx (μk\mu_k) leads to a complex redistribution of energy, notably populating the atomic state (H,H|\rm{H},\rm{H}\rangle). The ionization pathway is exquisitely sensitive to the initial quantum state, dictated by the composition and number of photons, which governs the accessible spin-selective excitation channels. This is conclusively demonstrated in a model with an embedded anode, where the maximum ionization probability is fundamentally constrained to 34\frac{3}{4} by orbital hybridization. This study provides a unified theoretical foundation for quantum-controlled chemistry, with direct implications for future experiments in cavity QED and quantum information processing.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2511.21430,
  title  = {Quantum electrodynamic description of the neutral hydrogen molecule ionization},
  author = {Hui-hui Miao},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2511.21430},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

11 pages, 5 figures; Supplementary Information: 2 videos

R2 v1 2026-07-01T07:56:17.791Z