Last call for excitonics meeting registration
Alan Aspuru-Guzik
(Sent from my mobile phone and might contain typos. Thanks for
understanding.)
Begin forwarded message:
From: Masoud Mohseni <mohseni(a)mit.edu>
Date: March 15, 2010 19:35:51 EDT
To: excitonics(a)chem-quantum.info
Subject: [Excitonics-Theory] tomorrow talks on coherent resonance
energy
Dear All,
There are two interesting talks tomorrow by Eric Zimanyi and Shaul
Mukamel (see below for the abstracts and locations). In our bi-
weekly excitonic meeting Eric is going to tell us that everything
can be described classically after all.
Please note that anyone from your group that is not listed below
will not receive any subsequent announcements. Please notify them
that they can subscribe to the excitonics email list by sending an e-
mail to: excitonics-subscribe(a)chem-quantum.info
Alan Aspuru-Guzik
Anna B. Shin
Cesar A Rodriguez-Rosario
Eric Zimanyi
Jianlan Wu
Jianshu Cao
Jacob J Krich
Leslie Vogt
Man-Hong Yung
Masoud Mohseni
Alejandro Perdomo
Roberto Olivares-Amaya
Semion Saikin
Robert J. Silbey
Seth Lloyd
Sule Atahan-Evrenk
James D Whitfield
Title: A classical electrodynamical theory for coherent resonance
energy
transfer
Speaker: Eric Zimanyi
(March 16, 12-1 pm, MIT 26-201)
Abstract:
Recent experiments on resonance energy transfer (RET) in
photosynthetic
systems have found evidence of quantum coherence between the donor
and the
acceptor. Under these conditions, Forster's theory of RET is no
longer
applicable and no theory of coherent RET advanced to date rivals the
intuitive simplicity of Forster's theory. Here, we develop a
framework for
understanding RET that is based on classical electrodynamics but still
captures the essence of the quantum coherence between the
molecules. Our
theory requires only a knowledge of the complex polarizabilities of
the two
molecules participating in the transfer as well as the distance
between
them. We compare our results to quantum mechanical calculations and
show
that the results agree quantitatively.
Center for Excitonics Seminar Series Announcement:
Title: Quantum Transport Effects and Coherent
Ultrafast
Multidimensional
Spectroscopy of Light Harvesting Photosynthetic
Complexes
Presenter: Shaul Mukamel
Organization: Department of Chemistry, University of California,
Irvine
Date: March 16, 2010
Time: 3:00 - 4:00pm
Place: Haus Room 36-428
Abstract
The harvesting of solar energy and its conversion to chemical energy
is
essential for all forms of life. Whether quantum effects persist in
the
energy transport is under active debate. If confirmed, these may
explain
the high efficiency of light harvesting and open up applications to
quantum computing and information processing stemming from
entanglement of
chromophores. Exciton dynamics simulations in the photosynthetic
reaction
center of photosystem II based on a novel quantum exciton dissipation
theory clearly establish oscillatory energy transport at room
temperature
originating from interference of quantum pathways. These may be
observed
through temporal oscillations of time-resolved two dimensional
coherent
optical spectra. Our simulations reveal that quantum energy transfer
effects may persist over the energy transport timescale at room
temperature despite the rapid decoherence effects due to environment
fluctuations. The response of photosynthetic light harvesting
complexes to
sequences of femtosecond optical pulses provides multidimensional
snapshots of their structure and electronic dynamics. Two-dimensional
(2D) signals show characteristic cross-peak patterns which carry
information about structures, fluctuations and the entire pathways of
energy and charge transfer. The signals reveal couplings between
chromophores, and quantum coherence signatures of chromophore
entanglement. Coherent quantum pathways and incoherent energy hopping
processes may be resolved. Future extensions of multidimensional
techniques to the attosecond regime using x-ray pulses will be
discussed.
Since core excitations are highly localized at selected atoms such
signals
can monitor the motions of valence electron wavepackets in real
space with
atomic spatial resolution. Common principles underlying coherent
spectroscopy techniques for spins, valence electrons, and core
electronic
excitations, spanning frequencies from radiowaves to hard X-rays
will be
discussed.
References:
“Coherent Multidimensional Optical Probes for Electronic Correlation
s and
Exciton Dynamics; from NMR to X-rays”, S. Mukamel, D. Abramavicius,
L.
Yang, W. Zhuang, I.V. Schweigert and D. Voronine. Acct.Chem.Res.
Acct.Chem.Res. 42, 553-562 (2009).
“Coherent Multidimensional Optical Spectroscopy Excitons in Molecul
ar
Aggregates; Quasiparticle vs. Supermolecule Perspectives”, D.
Abramavicius, B. Palmieri, D. Voronine, F. Sanda and S. Mukamel, Chem.
Rev. 109, 2350-2408 (2009).
“Coherent Multidimensional Vibrational Spectroscopy of Biomolecules;
Concepts, Simulations and Challenges”. W. Zhuang, T. Hayashi and S.
Mukamel, Agnew Chem. Int.Ed. 48, 3750-3781 (2009).
Bio:
Shaul Mukamel received his B.Sc degree in Chemical Physics in 1969
and his
Ph.D. in 1976 both from Tel Aviv University. He served on the
faculty of
the Weizmann Institute and Rice University and in 1982 he joined the
chemistry department of the University of Rochester and became a
professor
in 1985. In 2000 he became the Kenneth Mees Professor and in 2003 was
appointed joint Professor of Physics. Since 2003 he serves on the
faculty
of UC Irvine as a Chancellor Professor of Chemistry.
Professor Mukamel's group interests focus on the design of novel
ultrafast
multidimensional coherent optical spectroscopies for probing and
controlling electronic and vibrational molecular dynamics in the
condensed
phase; Theoretical and computational studies and applications include
attosecond nonlinear x-ray spectroscopy of molecules; Many-body
theory of
optical and photonic materials; a time dependent reduced density
matrix
framework for computing electronic excitations and nonlinear optical
spectroscopy of conjugated polymers, molecular nanostructures,
chromophore
aggregates and semiconductor and solar cell nanoparticles; Folding and
dynamical fluctuations in proteins and DNA; Long range electron
transfer,
energy funneling, and collective nonlinear optical response of
biological
light harvesting complexes; Photon statistics in single molecule
spectroscopy; Nonlinear dynamics and fluctuations in quantum and
classical
optical response.
Mukamel is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Optical
Society of America. He is the recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan, the
Guggenheim, the Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award and
the 2003
Lippincott award of the OSA.
--
*************************************************************
Dr. Masoud Mohseni, Postdoctoral Fellow, MIT
Center for Excitonics, Research Laboratory of Electronics
77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
Room 26-359
Phone/Fax: 617-253-7811 / 617-258-7864
Email: mohseni(a)mit.edu
***
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