Terahertz Vibrational Motions Dictate and Drive the Properties of Advanced Materials

Low-frequency (terahertz) vibrational motions often involve large amplitude displacements of entire molecules in the condensed phase. These vibrational pathways are critical to understanding and describing advanced material properties, including mechanical response, charge carrier dynamics, phase transformation phenomena, and chemical stability, to name a few. In this work, the broad and pervasive nature of specific terahertz motions in such phenomena will be explored, and recent advances in using terahertz radiation to manipulate materials will be highlighted.