JP3517850B2 - Information processing method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing method, and more particularly to an information processing method capable of performing a logical operation by utilizing electronic transition between energy levels of organic molecules.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Although the size of organic molecules is on the order of 10 ^-1 nm or less, since they have discrete energy levels in the molecule, it is necessary to obtain an energy band structure of 10 ⁰ ~ There is a possibility that even smaller devices can be constructed compared with the case where a size of 10 ¹ nm or more is required.

It is said that the speed limit of the current semiconductor device is in the picosecond range, and in order to realize a device higher in speed than this, the interaction between light and a substance must be used. On the other hand, the band gap of organic molecules is
Due to its electronic structure, it covers a wide range from the ultraviolet to the infrared region, and the electronic transition from the ground state to the excited state due to the absorption of light by the molecule is very fast, and is on the order of femtoseconds. It is said that it can be expected as a new device material that exceeds the speed limit of semiconductor devices.

A number of materials have been proposed as molecular logic devices, for example, Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, "Research Report No. 141 (1984) Special Issue": Research and study of molecular memory, Studies such as "New Electronic Materials Survey Report (1984)" by Japan Electronics Industry Promotion Association have been conducted.

However, many of the molecules that have been devised or synthesized as molecular materials for molecular electronic devices have a very special molecular structure, and the synthesis itself is very difficult, and the practicality is taken into consideration. It is hard to say that.

Various attempts have been made to increase the switching speed, but these are based on the assumption that the ground-state potential has a double minimum (two minimum values), that is, some change in chemical structure. .

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing method capable of performing logical operation easily and surely at ultra high speed.

[0008]

In recent years, a picosecond or femtosecond laser light source has been put into practical use, and a substance emits light depending on the time width of the light pulse itself or the time interval between the pulses. Can be made shorter than the lifetime of the excited singlet state or triplet state caused by the electronic transition that occurs as a result of absorption of.

The present inventor can treat the excited state as a quasi-stationary state in such a very short time domain, and therefore, if high-speed information processing is performed in such a time domain, a special molecular structure is obtained. The present invention has been accomplished by finding that ultra-high-speed information processing can be easily and surely performed by considering the energy and life of a transitional state without devising the invention.

[0010] Namely, the present invention uses the ground state of the molecules or atoms and at least one excited state, the electron transitions between energy levels, one wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between the energy levels 2 and light, a plurality of wavelengths which the sum of the energy corresponding to the energy difference between the energy levels of light (using a non-linear effects, one electronic transitions
Photon is performed by irradiating either of the first wavelength light and the second wavelength light when performing in the process of photons or more, and the sum of a plurality of light irradiation times and light irradiation intervals performed for the purpose of calculation is the excitation. The present invention relates to an information processing method that is shorter than the life of a state (particularly, 50% or less of this life) and uses a change in electron distribution between energy states induced by these light irradiations for information processing. .

The information processing method of the present invention basically uses that the electrons distributed in the energy level obey the Pauli exclusion rule. The states available for the information processing are summarized in the following To be

Ground state and excited singlet state of a molecule or atom

The ground state of a molecule or atom and the lowest triplet state caused by direct photoexcitation

At least two energy levels selected from the ground state of a molecule or atom, the lowest triplet state generated by direct photoexcitation, and the higher triplet state generated by photoexcitation from the lowest triplet state.

Excited singlet state or lowest triplet state generated by direct photoexcitation or sensitization of at least two different kinds of molecules or atoms from the ground state (using these as energy levels, the different molecules or the above-mentioned atoms) Use the change in electron distribution caused by the energy transfer that occurs in information processing)

In a molecule in which at least two kinds of molecules or atoms having different excitation energy levels are chemically bound, an excited singlet state or a lowest triplet state (which is referred to as an energy level as an energy level) generated by direct photoexcitation or sensitization from a ground state. And use the change in electron distribution caused by energy transfer between different molecules or atoms for information processing)

Energy levels between a new molecule and an original molecule or atom caused by a chemical reaction in a molecule or between molecules or atoms induced by photoexcitation (use the change of these energy levels for information processing)

Combining a plurality of information processing methods described in above

Of the above items, the principle of the information processing method of the present invention will be described below for the simplest case.

Information processing using ground state and excited singlet state
When the molecule is present in the sense ground state, is irradiated with light of a wavelength corresponding to the energy gap (energy difference) between the ground state and the excited singlet state, the transition occurs from the ground state to the excited singlet state. In this case, when the number of photons contained in the irradiation light is larger than the number of molecules, all the molecules transit to the excited singlet state.

When the photochemical reaction does not occur and there is no intersystem crossing to the lowest triplet state, electron conversion to the ground state occurs as a result of energy dissipation process such as internal conversion from excited singlet state or fluorescence emission. Distribution is restored. These processes do not occur immediately after photoexcitation, but after a certain delay time. In a molecular assembly, the time when the number of molecules existing in the excited state decreases to 1 / e immediately after photoexcitation is defined as “lifetime of excited state”. In a typical case, the lifetime of excited singlet state is It is in the range of several nanoseconds to tens of nanoseconds.
Where A = A _O e ^-kt (where A _O is the initial concentration, A
Is the concentration at time t, and k is the rate constant), and the time t (= 1 / k) is the life when A / A _o = 1 / e.

By the first irradiation of light, the electrons existing in the ground state absorb light and transition to the excited singlet state. When the second light irradiation is performed while the electron is in the excited singlet state,
Light passes through the molecule without being absorbed. When electrons are present in the ground state during the second light irradiation, the molecule absorbs light and transitions to the excited singlet state, and as a result, the intensity of the transmitted light corresponds to the light absorption. It decreases by the amount you did.

Therefore, for example, when the light irradiation is performed,
The value information is "1", the case where light irradiation is not performed corresponds to the binary information "0", the case where electrons are present in the ground state is the binary information "1", and the case where no electrons are present is "0". It is possible to perform information processing by associating with ".

That is, assuming that the first light irradiation is A and the second light irradiation is B, with respect to the existence of electrons in the ground state, a matrix (truth table:
The same can be written. Here, G in FIG. 1 is the ground state, and S ₁
Indicates an excited singlet state (hereinafter the same), and the result of information processing is that the intensity of light transmitted by irradiating the third pulsed light (P described later) (presence or absence of light absorption-absorption “1”). , No absorption "0": The same applies hereinafter).

Thus, it is understood that the information processing of the present invention in the ground state G establishes ANOR B as a logical expression, that is, the logic of the NOR gate is formed.

Regarding the existence of the electron in the excited singlet state S ₁ , in addition to the light irradiation of the wavelength corresponding to the electronic transition from the ground state to the excited singlet state, it is caused by the fluorescence emission from the excited singlet state. It is also possible to detect the state by measuring luminescence. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, it is represented by "1" with fluorescence emission and "0" without fluorescence emission.

It can be seen that the information processing of the present invention in the excited singlet state S ₁ forms A OR B as the logical expression, that is, the logic of the OR gate.

The basic principle of the information processing method of the present invention has been described above by taking the simplest ground state and excited singlet state as an example. However, the energy level used for this information processing is not limited to this, and It is of course possible to use the subsequent states shown above, and it is possible to obtain A NOR B or A OR B and other logical expressions that are established when the ground state and the excited singlet state are used. .

Ground state and lowest triplet state due to direct photoexcitation
In the case of using the ground state and the lowest triplet state generated by photoexcitation, when the molecule is irradiated with light having a wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between the ground state and the excited singlet state, an electronic transition to the excited singlet state occurs. Occurs. When the transition probability to the lowest triplet state exists, the lowest triplet state is generated due to the intersystem crossing.

The lowest triplet state is a transient state, usually with a microsecond to submillisecond lifetime, and the molecule returns from the lowest triplet state to the ground state by radiationless deactivation or phosphorescence emission.

Assuming that the first light irradiation is A and the second light irradiation is B using a wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between the ground state and the excited singlet state, the existence of electrons in the ground state is shown in FIG. You can write a matrix as shown in.

Regarding the existence of electrons in the ground state G, A N
OR B, A O for the existence of electrons in triplet state T
It can be seen that the logical formula of R B holds. Whether or not electrons exist in the ground state G can be known from the change in transmitted light intensity when the third light irradiation is performed.

That is, when there is no electron in the ground state G, the irradiated light passes through the molecule without being absorbed, but when there is an electron in the ground state G, the electronic transition from the ground state to the excited singlet state. Occurs, and accompanying this, a change in the intensity of the transmitted light occurs, which allows detection. The electron distribution to the triplet state can be detected by irradiating light having a wavelength corresponding to triplet-triplet absorption corresponding to the electronic transition from the lowest triplet state T to the higher triplet state T _n described later.

Information processing using ground state and high triplet state
The case of using the ground state and the high triplet state generated by the stepwise two-stage excitation will be described. When a molecule is irradiated with light having a wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between the ground state and the excited singlet state, an electronic transition to the excited singlet state occurs. When the transition probability to the lowest triplet state exists, the lowest triplet state is generated due to the intersystem crossing.

The lowest triplet state is a transient state, usually with a microsecond to sub-millisecond lifetime, and the molecule returns from the lowest triplet state to the ground state by radiationless deactivation or phosphorescence emission. When the molecule is in the lowest triplet state, irradiation with light corresponding to the energy difference between the lowest triplet state and the higher triplet state causes an electronic transition to the higher triplet state. The appropriate wavelength used for this can be known by measuring the triplet-triplet absorption spectrum.

Light having a wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between the ground state and the excited singlet state is used as the first light, and the energy difference between the lowest triplet state and the high triplet state is used as the second light. Light having a wavelength corresponding to is used. The binary information “1” corresponds to the case where light irradiation is performed, the binary information “0” corresponds to the case where light irradiation is not performed, and the binary information “0” corresponds to the case where an electron exists in a certain energy state. It is possible to perform information processing by associating "1" with "0" when there is no such information.

Assuming that the first light irradiation is A and the second light irradiation is B, a high triplet state T _n is obtained as shown in FIG.
Regarding the existence of electrons, A AND B, ground state G
It can be seen that the NOT A logic holds for the existence of electrons.

That is, when there is no electron in the ground state G, the irradiated light passes through the molecule without being absorbed, but when there is an electron in the ground state G, the excited singlet state S ₁ from the ground state G Since the electron transition to the occurs, the intensity of the transmitted light changes accordingly, which enables detection.
The electron distribution to the triplet state can be detected by irradiating light with a wavelength corresponding to triplet-triplet absorption corresponding to the electronic transition from the lowest triplet state T ₁ to the higher triplet state T _n .

Different caused by direct photoexcitation or sensitization
Information processing using energy levels or information processing between two levels with different energies generated by direct photoexcitation or sensitization is described. Figure 4
As shown in, the energy transfer occurs from the high energy level to the low energy level, and the reverse energy transfer does not occur.

Let M1 be the molecule with the lower energy level in the excited state and M2 be the molecule with the higher energy level.
The ground state is represented by G, and the excited state is represented by E. The light irradiation having a wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between the ground state and the excited state of M1 is A, and the light irradiation having a wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between the ground state and the excited state of M2 is B.

When the light irradiation is performed, the binary information is set to "1", and when the light irradiation is not performed, it is set to "0". After the light irradiation of A and B is performed, M1G, M1E, M2G and M2E are performed.
If there is an electron in the state of "1", the binary information is "1", and if there is no electron, it is "0". As shown in FIG. 4, M1G is A NOR B, M1E is AOR B, M2G. About A NAND B, M
It can be seen that A ANDB holds for 2E.

As is clear from some of the examples described above, according to the information processing method of the present invention, by utilizing the transient state of the molecule, AND, NAND, OR,
It is possible to configure a logic circuit such as NOR or NOT.

Therefore, it is possible to assemble more complicated circuits by combining these logic circuits. Furthermore, it is also possible to save the result of logical processing by combining systems that cause a chemical reaction. However, as described in the previous examples, when the electronic state in one molecule is used, the first light irradiation, the second light irradiation, and the third light irradiation are temporally changed. It is necessary to irradiate at intervals.

In the information processing of the present invention, basically, the operation at the molecular level is possible, but in order to improve the signal detection sensitivity or the reliability of the operation, a plurality of molecules having one logic are used. Of course, it doesn't matter.

[0045]

EXAMPLES The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to specific examples.

<Embodiment 1> This embodiment is an example using a ground state and an excited singlet state.

In the measuring device shown in FIG. 5, Nd: YA
G laser 1 (pulse width 10 picoseconds) third harmonic (353n
m) After splitting the light 2 into three by the semi-transmissive mirrors 3, 4, 5, the sample 9 is irradiated with three pulsed lights at intervals of 20 picoseconds using the optical delay devices 6, 7, 8. Was adjusted.
A streak camera 10 was used for light detection, and a trigger was applied by the first pulsed light detected by the photodetector 11. The measurement data was processed by the control / data processor 12.

Sample 9 was prepared by placing a degassed cyclohexane solution of 9,10-diphenylanthracene in an optical cell. It is known that the fluorescence quantum yield of 9,10-diphenylanthracene is almost 1 (RF Chen, J.
Res. Natl. Bur. Stand., Sect. A, 76 (1972) 593),
The fluorescence lifetime is reported to be 7.6 nanoseconds (TMVem
ber. LA Kiyanskaya and AS Cherkasov, J. Gen.
Chem. USSR, 33 (1963) 2281).

Of course, it will be appreciated that the fluorescence lifetime of 9,10-diphenylanthracene can be adjusted longer to suit the pulsed light cycle by adding a suitable quenching agent. This molecule only needs to consider two energy states, a ground state and an excited singlet state, and is a substance suitable for showing the effect of the present invention.

In this example, the light transmitted through the sample was measured for four combinations of the cases where the first and second pulsed lights were irradiated and the cases where they were not irradiated.

The results are shown in FIG. According to this, after the molecule undergoes an electronic transition to the excited singlet state S ₁ by the first light irradiation A or the second light irradiation B, while the molecule is in the excited singlet state, the third light irradiation A The pulsed light P passed through the molecule without being absorbed.

As a result, the first pulsed light irradiation is A,
When the second pulsed light irradiation is B, the light irradiation is made to correspond to the binary information “1”, the non-irradiation is made to correspond to the binary information “0”, and the molecule is in the ground state G to be 2 "1" of the value information, not the ground state G but the excited singlet state S ₁
When the case of 1 is associated with “0” of the binary information, it can be seen that the existence of electrons in the ground state G is a logical formula of A NOR B.

However, when light irradiation is performed with a pulse interval longer than the fluorescence lifetime (nanosecond order) of 9,10-diphenylanthracene, the molecule is deactivated from the excited state to the ground state. I was back and couldn't do logical operations.

In addition to 9,10-diphenylanthracene, any molecule having a quantum yield of intersystem crossing to the triplet state lower than 0.4, preferably lower than 0.2 is similar to that described in this example. Logical operations can be used.

Examples of such molecules include 9,10-dimethylanthracene, perylene, p-quarterphenyl, p-terphenyl, fluorescein, rhodamine,
Examples thereof include coumarin and N- (7-dimethylamino-4-methylcoumarinyl) maleimide, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Not only a solution but also a material system in which each of the above compounds is dispersed in a polymer such as polymethylmethacrylate, polystyrene, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral, or cyclodextrin, crown ether The same effect can be obtained also in a material system clathrated in etc., and further in a material system in which an alkyl group having 3 or more carbon atoms is introduced into each of the above compounds and allowed to exist in the Langmuir-Blodgett film. .

<Embodiment 2> This embodiment is an example in which the ground state and the lowest triplet state are used.

The same laser light source as in Example 1 was used. However, as the laser wavelength, a fourth harmonic (266 nm) was used when detecting the ground state. 2 without using the 4th harmonic
It is needless to say that the position of two light beams is superposed on the sample by using the harmonic wave (532 nm), and the same effect as that of the fourth harmonic wave is obtained by the two-photon absorption. The wavelength of 266 nm corresponds to the ππ ^* transition from the ground state.

A degassed ethanol solution of benzophenone was used as a sample. It is known that the triplet quantum yield of benzophenone is 1 (K. Sandros, Acta Chem. Sca.
nd., 23 (1969) 2815). The triplet-triplet absorption of benzophenone has an absorption maximum at around 530 nm, so to detect this, output from a dye laser using coumarin 6 as the laser dye at the third harmonic (353 nm) of the Nd: YAG laser. 530nm pulsed light was used. The lifetime of the lowest triplet state is about 100 nanoseconds in ethanol.

As in Example 1, the light transmitted through the sample was measured for four combinations of the cases where the first and second pulsed lights were irradiated and the cases where they were not irradiated. By the first light irradiation A or the second light irradiation B, the molecule electronically transits to the excited singlet state S ₁ , and then moves to the lowest triplet state T by intersystem crossing. While in the lowest triplet state, the third pulsed light P was transmitted without being absorbed by the molecule.

As a result, the first pulsed light irradiation is A,
When the second pulsed light irradiation is B, the light irradiation is made to correspond to the binary information “1”, the non-irradiation is made to correspond to the binary information “0”, and the molecule is in the ground state G to be 2 "1" of the value information, not the ground state G but the excited singlet state S ₁
When the case of 1 is associated with “0” of the binary information, it can be seen that the existence of electrons in the ground state G is a logical formula of A NOR B.

As a molecule which can be used for the same purpose as the sample of this example, a molecule having a high quantum yield of triplet formation of 0.6 or more, preferably 0.7 or more may be used.

Examples of such molecules include benzophenone, acetone, acetophenone, xanthone,
7,8-benzoquinoline, anthracene, 4-phenylbenzophenone, 4,4'-bis (N, N-dimethylamino) benzophenone, biphenyl, naphthalene, phenanthrene, triphenylene, 9-bromoanthracene, 9,10-dibromoanthracene, Acridine, 9-
Examples thereof include phenylacridine, 9 (10H) acridone, acridine orange, eosin, erythrosin B, methylene blue and the like, but are not limited thereto.

Not only a solution but also a material system in which each of the above compounds is dispersed in a polymer such as polymethylmethacrylate, polystyrene, polyacrylamide, polyvinylacetate, polyvinylalcohol, polyvinylbutyral, or cyclodextrin, crown ether, etc. The same effect can be obtained in the material system clathrated by the above, or in the material system in which an alkyl group having 3 or more carbon atoms is introduced into the Langmuir-Blodgett film and introduced into the Langmuir-Blodgett film.

<Embodiment 3> This embodiment is an example using a ground state and a high triplet state.

A sample prepared by dispersing zinc tetraphenylporphine in polymethylmethacrylate was used. The wavelength corresponding to the electronic transition from the ground state to the excited singlet state is 590 nm, and the triplet-triplet absorption spectrum corresponding to the electronic transition from the lowest triplet state to the higher triplet state has an absorption maximum near 460 nm. . Triplet quantum yield is
It is reported to be 0.88. The lifetime of the lowest triplet state is about 2 milliseconds.

As the laser light source, the third harmonic (355 nm) light of the Nd: YAG laser (pulse width 10 picoseconds) was split into two by a semi-transmissive mirror, and one of them was coumarin 466 and the other was Rhodamine 6G. It was used for optical pumping of a dye laser. After splitting each output light into two with a semi-transparent mirror,
Introduced into an optical delay device.

As in Example 1, three of the output lights of the optical delay device were used for the measurement. That is, 590 nm light used for electronic transition from ground state to excited singlet state, used for electronic transition from lowest triplet state to higher triplet state
Light at 460 nm was adjusted so that the time interval between pulses was 30 picoseconds. Furthermore, as the probe light, in order to detect the presence of electrons in the ground state after a delay time of 30 picoseconds,
Light at 590 nm was used, and light at 465 nm was used to detect the presence of electrons in the lowest triplet state.

A streak camera was used to detect the sample transmitted light, and the trigger was performed by the first pulsed light from the Nd: YAG laser.

The first 590 nm pulsed light irradiation is A, the second 460 nm pulsed light irradiation is B, and when the light is irradiated, the binary information is "1", and when the light is not irradiated, the binary information is "0". "1" of the binary information when the molecule is in the ground state G, not the ground state G, but the excited singlet state S ₁
The case "1" corresponds to the binary information "0". The intensity change of the third light irradiation P after passing through the sample was measured.

The existence of electrons in the ground state G is NOT
According to A, the presence of electrons in the lowest triplet state T ₁ was found to be the same as A.

As the molecular material that can be used for the same purpose as the sample of this example, the above-mentioned molecule is just an example, and the absorption spectrum corresponding to the electronic transition from the ground state to the excited singlet state and the minimum A molecule which can be separated from the absorption spectrum corresponding to an electronic transition from a triplet state to a higher triplet state in the wavelength dimension and has a triplet quantum yield of 0.6 or more, preferably 0.8 or more can be used.

As such a molecule, for example, Example 2 is used.
Examples of benzophenone, xanthone, acetophenone, 7,8-benzoquinoline, anthracene, 4
-Phenylbenzophenone, 4,4'-bis (N, N-
Dimethylamino) benzophenone, biphenyl, naphthalene, phenanthrene, triphenylene, 9-bromoanthracene, 9,10-dibromoanthracene, acridine, 9-phenylacridine, 9 (10H) acridone,
Examples thereof include acridine orange, eosin, erythrosin B, methylene blue and the like, but are not limited thereto.

In addition to polymethylmethacrylate,
Polystyrene, polyacrylamide,
Material systems dispersed in polymers such as polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral, etc., solution systems, material systems clathrated in cyclodextrin, crown ether, etc., or alkyls with 3 or more carbon atoms in each of the above compounds. The same effect can be obtained also in a material system in which a group is introduced and allowed to exist in the Langmuir-Blodgett film.

<Embodiment 4> This embodiment is an example using energy transfer between molecules.

When the excited singlet state is involved in energy transfer, a Forster-type mechanism involving dipole-dipole interaction is known. It is necessary that the emission spectrum of the molecule that gives energy overlaps with the absorption spectrum of the molecule that receives energy. Energy transfer occurs from higher level to lower level, and this reverse process does not occur.

Rhodamine 6G, which has a high fluorescence quantum yield and is used as a dye for laser, and 3,3′-diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide, which is a cyanine dye, are used as the molecules that give energy. In this case,
Rhodamine 6G acts as an energy donor and the cyanine dye acts as an energy acceptor. Both dyes dispersed in polymethylmethacrylate were used as samples.

Second harmonic of Nd: YAG laser (532 nm,
When irradiated with a pulse width of 10 picoseconds), the cyanine dye hardly absorbs light, and only rhodamine 6G is excited. Light emission was observed in the emission wavelength region (590 to 600 nm) of the cyanine dye, and it was confirmed that energy transfer from the rhodamine 6G to the cyanine dye occurred.

On the other hand, with the light irradiation of 580 nm obtained by optically pumping Rhodamine 6G with the second harmonic of the Nd: YAG laser, only the cyanine dye is excited, but at this time, the emission from Rhodamine 6G is observed. It was confirmed that no energy transfer had occurred.

As in Example 1, an Nd: YAG laser was used as a light source, and a second harmonic and 580 nm light obtained by optically pumping Rhodamine 6G with the second harmonic were used. Each pulsed light was divided into two, and the time to reach the sample was adjusted using an optical delay circuit.

The cyanine dye is represented by M1, and rhodamine 6
G is represented by M2. Light irradiation with a wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between the ground state (M1G) and excited state (M1E) of M1 is A, and light with a wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between the ground state (M2G) and excited state (M2E) of M2. Irradiation is B. When the light irradiation is performed, the binary information “1” is corresponded to, and when the light irradiation is not performed is corresponded to “0”.
The presence of electrons in the states of M1G, M1E, M2G, and M2E corresponds to binary information “1”, and the absence thereof corresponds to “0”.

For M1G, A NOR B, M1E
For A OR B, for M2G is A NAN
It was found that A AND B holds for D B and M2E.

It goes without saying that the combination of molecules that can be used here is not limited to the above. Other molecules that can be used include, for example, NJ Turro, Mode.
rn Molecular Photochemistry (The Benjamin / Cummings
Pub. Co., Inc., 1978) 1-chloroanthracene and perylene, pyrene and cebron yellow L, pyrene and perylene, naphthalene and anthracene, rhodamine 6G and malachite green.

Further, in addition to this, it can be used as long as the energy condition that the emission spectrum of the molecule that gives energy overlaps with the absorption spectrum of the molecule that receives energy is satisfied. In addition, even if the molecule that gives energy and the molecule that receives energy are connected by a chemical bond containing a molecule that does not participate in energy transfer,
The effect of the present invention is not impaired.

Not only a solution but also a material system in which each of the above compounds is dispersed in a polymer such as polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral, cyclodextrin, crown ether, etc. The same effect can be obtained in a clathrate material system or a material system in which an alkyl group having 3 or more carbon atoms is introduced into each of the above compounds and allowed to exist in the Langmuir-Blodgett film.

The energy transfer between molecules includes triplet-triplet energy transfer. In addition to the high triplet quantum yield of each molecule, it corresponds to the transition between each ground state and excited singlet state. The wavelengths of the absorption spectrum and the triplet-triplet spectrum corresponding to the transition from the lowest triplet state to the higher triplet state need to be separable.

Such molecules are, for example, SL Murov
Written, Handbook of Photochemistry (Marcel Dekker, 19
73) Section 1 Spectroscopic Properties of S
From the vast number of molecules described in ensitizers and Quenchers, an appropriate one can be selected and used. Of course, other than this, it is possible to select a molecule that satisfies the above-mentioned energy conditions.

<Embodiment 5> In each of the above embodiments,
Although one element is dealt with, this embodiment will explain a case where a plurality of these elements are used.

One of the simplest examples is shown in FIG. The respective elements are designated as D1, D2 and D3, the light irradiation used for the calculation is designated as A1, B1, A2 and B2, and the light irradiation used for detecting the calculation result is designated as P1, P2 and P3. D3
In the case of, P2 and P for detecting the calculation results of D1 and D2
The calculation is performed by 3.

A degassed hexane solution of 9,10-diphenylanthracene was used for D1, D2 and D3. Example 1
Similarly, the light source is the third harmonic of the Nd: YAG laser (355
nm, 10 picoseconds) was used. The time interval of the pulsed light was adjusted to 30 picoseconds using a light delay circuit for the light split by the semitransparent mirror.

In this example, basically, the depletion of the absorption of the ground state after the transition of the electron to the excited state (when the number of photons contained in the incident light is larger than the number of molecules in the sample,
All molecules are in the excited state and the absorption of the ground state disappears) is used. The operation of the element is performed by irradiating light used for calculation in time series. Therefore, irradiation of a plurality of pulsed lights for operating a certain element must be completed before the pulsed light for detecting the calculation result of the element in terms of time.

In the case of FIG. 7, the light of P1 first enters D3. The light of P2 needs to be incident on D3 after this, but the irradiation of the light of A2 and B2 which causes the result is flexible if it is sufficiently shorter than the lifetime of the excited state.

That is, the time interval between A2 and B2 is A1, B
After the same time interval as 1 there may be an interval up to P2 irradiation, and the time interval of A2, B2, P2 may be A1, B
When the time interval is 1 and P1, the irradiation start of A2 may be delayed so that P2 comes after P1. Other than those shown in FIG. 7, other sequences may be used as long as the order and timing of P1 and P2 are not changed.

The results are shown in FIG. This result is shown as "1" when the transmitted light intensity of the probe light P3 is high and "0" when it is small or zero. However, by sequentially injecting P1 and P2 into D3, A of FIG. It can be seen that the output opposite to the NOR B logic table is obtained.

In this embodiment, the operating principle of D1, D2, D3 occurs at the molecular level, and D1, D2, D3
It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the form as long as the operating wavelengths can be separated in the wavelength dimension.

The sample may be in the form of a thin film or a solid in addition to a solution, or a plurality of molecules having functions such as D1, D2, D3 may be treated with, for example, an alkyl chain so as not to affect those functions. Molecules or substances chemically bonded with each other can also be used.

Example 6 In this example, an example in which a molecule in which two kinds of molecules having different excitation energy levels are chemically bonded and a molecule other than this are combined will be described.

As a molecule having a different excitation level, a molecule in which rhodamine 6G and zinc porphine were chemically bonded was used.
This molecule can be obtained by reacting a product obtained by refluxing a compound in which the aldehyde ring is substituted at the para-position of the phenyl ring of Rhodamine 6G in pyrrole with zinc chloride in chloroform. The final product was purified by column chromatography.

The energy level of the excited singlet state of Rhodamine 6G has a fluorescence spectrum maximum near 590 nm.
It agrees with the absorption maximum of 590 nm of zinc porphine. The quantum yield of intersystem crossing from the excited singlet state to the lowest triplet state of zinc porphine is as high as 0.8, and when rhodamine 6G is photoexcited, the lowest triplet state of zinc tetraporphine (energy level is 1.59 eV) Are generated as a result of excitation energy transfer.

Methylene blue was used as an example of another molecule to be combined. The absorption maximum of methylene blue is 6
It is around 70 nm, and the absorption wavelengths are separated from rhodamine 6G and zinc porphyrin, and they can be individually photoexcited. The energy level of the lowest triplet state of methylene blue is 1.44 eV, and generation of the lowest triplet state can be confirmed by observing the absorption maximum near 880 nm in the triplet-triplet absorption spectrum of methylene blue.

In the main light absorption band of methylene blue, the overlap with the fluorescence spectrum of Rhodamine 6G in the wavelength dimension can be ignored,
Therefore, the energy transfer process from the excited singlet state of Rhodamine 6G to methylene blue hardly occurs. Also,
The absorption maximum of the triplet-triplet absorption spectrum of zinc porphine is around 460 nm, and there is no problematic absorption in this wavelength region.

Nd: YAG laser (pulse width 10 picoseconds)
Was used as a light source, and the light was used to generate a second harmonic with one light and then was divided into two and used for a dye laser (using laser dye IR 144) for photoexcitation of Rhodamine 6G and oscillation of 880 nm. In addition, the third harmonic (355 nm) was generated by the light from the other Nd: YAG laser, which was also used to excite the dye laser which also used oxazazine 170. A wavelength corresponding to the absorption maximum wavelength of 670 nm of methylene blue was obtained.

As in the case of FIG. 5, the optical delay circuit adjusted the intervals between the three optical pulses to 200 picoseconds. The optical trigger signal to the streak camera used for light detection was set to an optical distance 200 picoseconds before the first light pulse applied to the sample. The sample is a mixture solution of a compound in which zinc porphine and rhodamine 6G are chemically bonded and methylene blue are put in an optical cell.

The order of pulses applied to the sample is as follows.
First, 532 nm light for photoexciting Rhodamine 6G (this is referred to as A), and then for photoexciting methylene blue
The light was 670 nm (this is B), and finally 880 nm for observing the triplet-triplet absorption of methylene blue.

The energy level diagram of the material system used in this example is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the lowest triplet state of methylene blue is generated when at least one of A and B is irradiated. That is, the operation of A OR B is performed.

According to this result, when both A and B are not irradiated, there is no change in the sample transmitted light intensity at 880 nm.

When A is irradiated and B is not irradiated, 8
A decrease in sample transmitted light intensity at 80 nm was observed. This means that the energy transfer from the excited singlet state of rhodamine 6G to zinc porphine produces the excited singlet state of zinc porphine, and then the intersystem crossing produces the lowest triplet state of zinc porphine. Furthermore, it supports that the lowest triplet state of methylene blue was generated by triplet-triplet energy transfer to methylene blue.

When B is irradiated without irradiation of A, methylene blue is photoexcited, and the lowest triplet state is generated due to intersystem crossing. Correspondingly, a decrease in the transmitted light intensity of the sample at 880 nm was observed.

When both A and B are irradiated, 880 nm
It was found that the lowest triplet state of methylene blue was generated by the decrease of the light transmitted through the sample.

From the above results, it was confirmed that the operation of A OR B was performed. The same result was obtained by exchanging the order of irradiation of the first and second light pulses.

It goes without saying that the molecular combinations that can be used are not limited to those described here.

Further, not only a solution but also a material system in which each of the above compounds is dispersed in a polymer such as polymethylmethacrylate, polystyrene, polyacrylamide, polyvinylacetate, polyvinylalcohol, polyvinylbutyral, or cyclodextrin or crown ether is used. The same effect can be obtained in a material system clathrated by etc., or in a material system in which an alkyl group having 3 or more carbon atoms is introduced into these compounds to be present in the Langmuir-Blodgett film.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments can be further modified based on the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, not only the light of one kind of wavelength is used for exciting a molecule, but also the light of plural kinds of wavelength (one electronic transition is performed in the process of two or more photons by using a nonlinear effect). At this time, the first wavelength light and the second wavelength light: However, the total sum of these energies needs to correspond to the energy difference between the energy levels.) Can also be used.

Since the electron energy level of the molecule is discrete at room temperature, it can be operated in a wide temperature range from extremely low temperature to room temperature, and is higher than room temperature unless the molecular structure changes or decomposes. It can be used at temperature. Further, in the above-described examples, the stage of transition to the excited state was mainly mentioned, but the present invention can be applied to the case where the molecule in the excited state chemically reacts.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the electron energy level of a molecule is targeted, but the present invention can be similarly applied to the electron energy level of an atom, and a plurality of molecules or atoms can be used in combination. It is possible.

Although the present invention utilizes the electronic transition due to light, since the electrons are fermions,
It is suitable for performing information processing of the device by binary logic, but the output light is input into, for example, a Fabry-Perot optical interferometer or an optical fiber, and an analog type using the characteristics of photons as boson particles is used. Information processing is also possible. In addition, it is considered that not only the interaction between light and matter but also the information processing using energetic particles other than light as an excitation source can be opened up for application.

[0118]

As described above, the information processing method according to the present invention uses a change in absorption caused by an electronic transition, which is one of the fastest phenomena in the interaction between light and a substance, and after the transition, Since it is an information processing method by light irradiation that operates in a time region shorter than the lifetime of the excited state in which electrons are distributed, by considering the energy and lifetime of the transient state without using a substance with a special molecular structure, Ultra-high-speed information processing can be performed easily and reliably.

In the information processing method of the present invention, since the electronic transition occurs in the femtosecond region, the information processing becomes a picosecond to subsecond time region even at a high speed as in the case of involving a chemical reaction. It is extremely advantageous compared to. Also,
Basically, one molecule can be used as an operation unit, so that it can be used in a size smaller than a semiconductor material, and it can be expected to improve the degree of integration.

Although there is an increasing demand for speeding up information processing, the present invention addresses such a demand. Further, a structure in which a light source and an element to which the present invention is applied are integrated on a substrate can be greatly realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram and a logical table showing an example of information processing according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram and a logical table showing another example of the same information processing.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram and a logical table showing another example of the same information processing.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram and a logical table showing still another example of the same information processing.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an optical measurement system used to perform the same information processing.

FIG. 6 is a spectrum diagram showing a measurement result of an example of the same information processing.

FIG. 7 is a measurement system and pulse sequence diagram in another example of the same information processing.

8 is a spectrum diagram showing a measurement result of information processing in FIG. 7. FIG.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view and a logical table showing still another example of the same information processing.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Laser 2 ... Harmonic light 6, 7, 8 ... Optical delay device 9 ... Sample 10 ... Streak camera 11 ... Photodetector 12 ... Control / data processing device S ₁ ... Excited singlet state G ... Ground state T ... Triplet state T ₁ ... Lowest triplet state T _n ... High triplet state A ... First light irradiation B: second light irradiation P: third light irradiation (probe light)

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A ground state of a molecule or atom and at least one
One of the by using the excited state, the electron transitions between energy levels, one with light of a wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between the energy levels, corresponding to the energy difference between the sum of the energy is the energy level Performed by irradiation with light having a plurality of wavelengths, and the total of light irradiation time and light irradiation intervals performed for the purpose of calculation is shorter than the lifetime of the excited state, and these light irradiations are performed. An information processing method that uses the change in electron distribution between energy states induced by information processing. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the ground state and excited singlet state of a molecule or atom are used for information processing. 3. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the ground state of a molecule or atom and the lowest triplet state generated by direct photoexcitation are used for information processing. 4. At least two energy levels selected from the ground state of a molecule or an atom, the lowest triplet state generated by direct photoexcitation, and the higher triplet state generated by photoexcitation from the lowest triplet state are used for information processing. The information processing method according to claim 1, which is used. 5. The excited singlet state or the lowest triplet state generated by direct photoexcitation or sensitization of at least two different kinds of molecules or atoms from the ground state is used as an energy level, and the different molecules or atoms are different from each other. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein a change in the electron distribution caused by the energy transfer generated in 1 is used for information processing. 6. An excited singlet state or a lowest triplet state generated by direct photoexcitation or sensitization from a ground state in an molecule in which at least two kinds of molecules or atoms having different excitation energy levels are chemically bonded is used as an energy level. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein a change in electron distribution caused by energy transfer between different molecules or atoms is used for information processing. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a change in energy level between a new molecule and an original molecule or atom caused by a chemical reaction in the molecule or between molecules or atoms induced by photoexcitation is used for information processing. Information processing method. 8. An information processing method in which a plurality of the information processing methods according to claim 2 are combined.