A team of researchers led by Felipe Herrera, professor at the University of Santiago and researcher at the Millennium Institute for Research in Optics (MIRO), has identified a quantum phenomenon that enables chemical bonds to be broken using significantly less energy than is normally required.
The findings, published in Physical Review Letters under the title Enhancing Infrared-Laser Dissociation of Molecules with the Electromagnetic Vacuum , demonstrate that by using infrared light, the natural fluctuations present in the electromagnetic vacuum can promote molecular dissociation when molecules are confined within specially designed nanometer-scale structures known as nanocavities.
Although we often think of a vacuum as completely empty space, quantum physics shows that it is filled with tiny energy fluctuations. The researchers discovered that these fluctuations can be amplified inside a nanocavity, altering molecular vibrations and making it easier for an infrared laser to break chemical bonds.
“We demonstrated that under conditions of electrodynamic confinement of a molecule inside a nanocavity, molecular vibrations are modified in such a way that chemical bonds become much easier to break, due to the interaction between molecules and vacuum fluctuations,” explains Felipe Herrera.
Applications for Industry
The study provides new insights into how chemical reactions occur in extremely small environments where light and matter interact intensely. To date, numerous research groups worldwide have developed nanocavities for photonic applications, but little was known about the chemical behavior of molecules inside these systems.
“In this work, we demonstrate for the first time how purely quantum effects, such as electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations, can be exploited to significantly stimulate the reactivity of small molecules of broad interest in chemistry. Examples include electrochemical carbon dioxide capture reactions and water electrolysis for hydrogen production,” Herrera adds.
This is particularly relevant for industry, as it could increase the efficiency of well-known chemical reactions and contribute to developing processes that generate less chemical waste.
The study was theoretical in nature and required approximately two and a half years of work. To carry out the research, the team used computer simulations run on the servers of the Molecular Quantum Technology group, led by Felipe Herrera, as well as on computing resources at Universidad Católica del Norte, home institution of researcher Johan Triana.
The calculations were performed using specialized molecular modeling and quantum physics tools, allowing the researchers to virtually recreate the behavior of molecules inside nanocavities and analyze how they interact with infrared light.
Felipe Herrera led the conceptual development of the research and the analysis of the results, while researcher Johan Triana led the numerical work and actively contributed to the interpretation of the findings.
The results contribute to a deeper understanding of how fundamental quantum phenomena can be used to influence chemical processes, an emerging field with potential future applications in energy, chemistry, and nanotechnology.
Physical Review Letters
Computational simulation/modeling
Not applicable
Enhancing infrared-laser dissociation of molecules with the electromagnetic vacuum
7-Jul-2026