Theoretical treatment of pseudorotation in the Jahn-Teller C60+ ion

A theoretical investigation of the pseudorotational dynamics in the C-60(+) cation is made using a single-mode H circle times h model. Analytical expressions for the rate of pseudorotation are formulated as a function of the vibronic coupling parameters and used to probe the dynamics of the Jahn-Teller effect. For particular values of the coupling constants, it is known that the ground state of the system may change from the expected H symmetry to one of A symmetry. Therefore, we examine the dynamics in the coupling regime where this ground-state H-A crossover occurs. Using coupling constants taken from the literature, a pseudorotational period of similar to 210 fs is estimated for this ion. Thus there is the potential that pseudorotation could be observed in ultrafast optical experiments.