Title :
Photosynthetic light-harvesting by carotenoids: detection of an intermediate excited state
Author :
Cerullo, G. ; Polli, D. ; Lanzani, G. ; De Silvestri, S. ; Hashimoto, H. ; Cogdell, R.J.
Author_Institution :
Nat. Lab. for Ultrafast & Ultraintense Opt. Sci., Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
Abstract :
We present the first direct evidence of an intermediate excited state mediating internal conversion in carotenoids. Transition to this state occurs within /spl ap/50 fs. This result changes the description of the primary step in photosynthesis.
Keywords :
excited states; organic compounds; photosynthesis; time resolved spectra; carotenoids; chlorophylls; energy transfer pathways; femtosecond pulses; intermediate excited state detection; photoexcitation; photosynthesis; photosynthetic light-harvesting; Absorption; Biomedical optical imaging; Delay; Energy resolution; Kinetic theory; Laboratories; Optical pulses; Probes; Pulse amplifiers; Ultrafast optics;
Conference_Titel :
Quantum Electronics and Laser Science, 2003. QELS. Postconference Digest
Conference_Location :
Baltimore, MD, USA
Print_ISBN :
1-55752-749-0
DOI :
10.1109/QELS.2003.238330
