Controlling the efficiency of an artificial light-harvesting complex

Janne Savolainen, Riccardo Fanciulli, Niels Dijkhuizen, Ana Moore, Jürgen Hauer, Tiago Buckup, Marcus Motzkus, Jennifer L. Herek

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

68 Scopus citations

Abstract

Adaptive femtosecond pulse shaping in an evolutionary learning loop is applied to a bioinspired dyad molecule that closely mimics the early-time photophysics of the light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) photosynthetic antenna complex. Control over the branching ratio between the two competing pathways for energy flow, internal conversion (IC) and energy transfer (ET), is realized. We show that by pulse shaping it is possible to increase independently the relative yield of both channels, ET and IC. The optimization results are analyzed by using Fourier analysis, which gives direct insight to the mechanism featuring quantum interference of a low-frequency mode. The results from the closed-loop experiments are repeatable and robust and demonstrate the power of coherent control experiments as a spectroscopic tool (i.e., quantum-control spectroscopy) capable of revealing functionally relevant molecular properties that are hidden from conventional techniques.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7641-7646
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume105
Issue number22
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 3 2008

Keywords

  • Artificial photosynthesis
  • Coherent control
  • Energy transfer
  • Quantum-control spectroscopy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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