Dynamical Signatures of Multifunnel Energy Landscapes

Abstract

Multifunctional systems, such as molecular switches, exhibit multifunnel energy landscapes associated with the alternative functional states. In this contribution the multifunnel organization is decoded from dynamical signatures in the first passage time distribution between reactants and products. Characteristic relaxation rates are revealed by analyzing the kinetics as a function of the observation time scale, which scans the underlying distribution. Extracting the corresponding dynamical signatures provides direct insight into the organization of the molecular energy landscape, which will facilitate a rational design of target functionality. Examples are illustrated for multifunnel landscapes in biomolecular systems and an atomic cluster.