Time correlation functions golden rule rates

The first-order El "golden-rule" expression for the rates of photon-induced transitions can be recast into a form in which certain specific physical models are easily introduced and insights are easily gained. Moreover, by using so-called equilibrium averaged time correlation functions, it is possible to obtain rate expressions appropriate to a... 

Finally, it may be useful to note that the Fermi golden rule and time correlation function expressions often used (see ref. 12, for example) to express the rates of electron transfer have been shown [13], for other classes of dynamical processes, to be equivalent to LZ estimates of these same rates. So, it should not be surprising that our approach, in which we focus on events with no reorganization energy requirement and we use LZ theory to evaluate the intrinsic rates, is closely related to the more common approach used to treat electron transfer in condensed media where the reorganization energy plays a central role in determining the rates but the z factor plays a second central role. 

The basic theoretical framework for understanding the rates of these processes is Fermi s golden rule. The solute-solvent Hamiltonian is partitioned into three terms one for selected vibrational modes of the solute, including the vibrational mode that is initially excited, one for all other degrees of freedom (the bath), and one for the interaction between these two sets of variables. One then calculates rate constants for transitions between eigenstates of the first term, taking the interaction term to lowest order in perturbation theory. The rate constants are related to Fourier transforms of quantum time-correlation functions of bath variables. The most common... 

In theoretical studies, one usually deals with two simple models for the solvent relaxation, namely, the Debye model with the Lorentzian form of the frequency dependence, and the Ohmic model with an exponential cut-off [71, 85, 188, 203]. The Debye model can work well at low frequencies (long times) but it predicts nonanalytic behavior of the time correlation function at time zero. Exponential cut-off function takes care of this problem. Generalized sub- and super-Ohmic models are sometimes considered, characterized by a power dependence on CO (the dependence is linear for the usual Ohmic model) and the same exponential cut-off [203]. All these models admit analytical solutions for the ET rate in the Golden Rule limit [46,48]. One sometimes includes discrete modes or shifted Debye modes to mimic certain properties of the real spectrum [188]. In going beyond the Golden Rule limit, simplified models are considered, such as a frequency-independent (strict Ohmic) bath [71, 85, 203], or a sluggish (adiabatic)... 

Here. .. )t is the quantum thermal average, (... )t = Tr[e ... ]/Tr[e" ], and Tr denotes a trace over the initial manifold z. We have thus identified the golden rule rate as an integral over time of a quantum time correlation function associated with the interaction representation of the coupling operator. 

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