Theory of the Domino Dynamics Via Nonadiabatic Transitions

Photoinduced nucleation processes, called photoinduced domino processes, via excited electronic states are discussed theoretically for a one-dimensional arrangement of deformable molecules using a model composed of localized electrons and lattices. We show that the global structural transition by photoexcitation only at a molecule (site) is possible in the adiabatic and diabatic limits. An intermediate regime between these limits is investigated; an analytical treatment and a numerical calculation are presented taking into account the nonadiabatic electronic transition, i . e ., the Landau-Zener-type transition. In this regime, the domino dynamics can be terminated halfway ( i . e ., a finite - size domain appears) in contrast to the "all-or-nothing" domino dynamics ( i . e ., a photoinduced domain vanishes or grows up to the system size) in the adiabatic and diabatic limits.