Alán Aspuru-Guzik | Assistant Professor
Harvard University | Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
12 Oxford Street, Room M113 | Cambridge, MA 02138
(617)-384-8188 |
http://aspuru.chem.harvard.edu
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <rtavilla(a)rle.mit.edu>
Date: Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Subject: ANNOUNCEMENT: Excitonics Seminar - Professor Ian Mercer - September
29
To: excitonics-seminars(a)mit.edu
*Center for Excitonics* *
Seminar Series Announcement*
The Center for Excitonics (
http://www.rle.mit.edu/excitonics) invites you to
join us at the
first seminar of the Fall 2009 series. Please forward this information on
to others who might be interested
in attending this seminar.
Title: Quantum Dimension of Photosynthesis
Revealed by Angular Resolved Coherent Imaging
Presenter: Professor Ian Mercer
Organization: Department of Physics, University College
Dublin
Date: September 29, 2009
Time: 3:00 - 4:00pm
Place: 36-428
Refreshments: Yes
URL:
http://www.rle.mit.edu/excitonics/mercer-092909.html *
abstract*
Understanding the role of coherent electronic motion is expected to resolve
general questions of importance in macromolecular energy transfer, in nature
and in devices. Significant progress has been made using coherent optical
four wave-mixing, however the interpretation of measurements is difficult in
particular where multiple quantum transitions are strongly coupled, and new
methods are required for an improved feedback to molecular simulation. We
will look at a novel laser method, Angle-Resolved Coherent (ARC) imaging,
that separates quantum coherences from energy transfers in to orthogonal
dimensions, in an instantaneous two-dimensional mapping. The power of the
new method is demonstrated with the light harvesting complex II (LH2) of
purple bacteria. We reveal an evolving quantum coherence with a time-ordered
matter-selection of transition energies at ambient temperature. We also
reveal a coherent component to the energy transfer between macromolecular
rings and a correlation between excitation and emission energies within a
ring at ambient temperature.
*bio*
Ian Mercer is currently lecturing in Physics at University College Dublin in
Ireland. He has previous experience as a laser company CTO (UK), a lecturer
in Chemistry at Imperial College (UK) and a PI and Team Leader at LLNL (US).
His has interests in combining new laser methods, laser technology and
molecular-optical simulation for revealing biomolecular and electronic
device function.
energies within a ring at ambient temperature.