Memory effects in single-molecule spectroscopy

• Published in: Journal of luminescence Vol. 127; no. 1; pp. 230 - 234
• Main Authors: Schmitt, Daniel T., Schulz, Michael, Reineker, Peter
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.11.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Exciton; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; LH2 light-harvesting systems; Memory function; Molecular biophysics; Mori–Zwanzig equation; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Physics; Single-molecule spectroscopy; Times series of optical spectra; 87.64. −t; Exciton; 05.10. Gg; Times series of optical spectra; Single-molecule spectroscopy; 05.45. Tp; 71.35. −y; 87.50. Hg; Memory function; Mori–Zwanzig equation; LH2 light-harvesting systems; Molecules; Spectroscopy; Light harvesting system; 05.10. Gg; 05.45. Tp; 71.35. -y; 87.50. Hg; 87.64.-t; Excited states; Exciton; LH2 light-harvesting systems; Single-molecule spectroscopy; Times series of optical spectra; Mori-Zwanzig equation; Memory function; Memory effect
• ISSN: 0022-2313; 1872-7883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jlumin.2007.02.064

From the time series of LH2 optical single-molecule fluorescence excitation spectra of Rhodospirillum molischianum the memory function of the Mori–Zwanzig equation for the optical intensity is derived numerically. We show that the time dependence of the excited states is determined by at least three different non-Markovian stochastic processes with decay constants for the Mori–Zwanzig kernel on the order of 1 – 5 min - 1 . We suggest that this decay stems from the conformational motion of the protein scaffold of LH2.