Kinetic Optimization of Bacteriorhodopsin Films for Holographic Interferometry

Monitoring intermediate states of bacteriorhodopsin monolayers using near-field optical microscopy

We demonstrate single-molecule-level features using near-field optical microscopy on bacteriorhodopsin (bR), a membrane protein that functions as a light-driven proton pump. The photophysical properties of bR are utilized in this imaging technique, using a combination of photoexcitation sources, to accurately identify the active regions and quantify the optical parameters. The studies of bR monolayers are carried out on inert quartz substrates as well as active conducting polymer (polyaniline) substrates. The substrate also plays an important role in the photocycle quantum efficiencies. We speculate on mechanisms governing the higher near-field absorption strength of bR molecules.

Theoretical approach to photoinduced inhomogeneous anisotropy in bacteriorhodopsin films

The aim of this work was to perform a complete study of the dynamic and steady-state photoinduced processes of thick bacteriorhodopsin (bR) films, taking into account all the physical parameters and the coupling of rate equations with the energy transfer equation. The theoretical approach was compared with experimental data, and good concordance was found between both sets of data. The theoretical approach shows that the values of the rate constants for solid bR films are about two or three orders of magnitude lower than those observed in solution. It can also be noted that the temperature change during the experiment had a great influence on the final values of transmittance and, consequently, on the inhomogeneous distribution along the coordinate of light propagation. The study shows that, depending on the intensity and wavelength of the pump beam, we can obtain a very inhomogeneous profile of the population densities, which implies an inhomogeneous profile of the birefringence and dichroism. Therefore, this must be taken into account in the applications described for this system.

Dynamic Holography in Bacteriorhodopsin/Gelatin Films: Effects of Light-Dark Adaptation at Different Humidity†

This work examines the kinetics of dynamic holography responses in light-adapted and dark-adapted bacteriorhodopsin (BR) films at different humidity. We have demonstrated that the kinetics of the diffraction efficiency in wild type BR films is quite different in dark-adapted and light-adapted samples. The holographic recording kinetics, which depends on the duration of incubation in the dark after light adaptation at different humidity values, was studied in depth. A specially designed miniature cell containing a BR film was mounted inside the holographic set up to allow controlled humidity changes over a broad range. The diffraction efficiency kinetics at humidity values of 96-99% were quite different from the kinetics at 60-93% humidity. We found that humidity values of 90-93% were most optimal for dynamic holography recording using a gelatin film containing BR. In agreement with a calculation of the wavelength-dependent changes of the refractive index for dark-adapted and light-adapted BR samples using the Kramers-Kronig relation, the maximum difference in the refractive index and thus in the diffraction efficiency for dark-adapted and light-adapted BR films takes place at 630 nm, close to the wavelength of the He-Ne laser used.

Controllable snail-paced light in biological bacteriorhodopsin thin film

We observe that the group velocity of light is reduced to an extremely low value of 0.091 mm/s in a biological thin film of bacteriorhodopsin at room temperature. By exploiting unique features of a flexible photoisomerization process for coherent population oscillation, the velocity is all-optically controlled over an enormous span, from snail-paced to normal light speed, with no need of modifying the characteristics of the incident pulse. Because of the large quantum yield for the photoreaction in this biochemical system, the ultraslow light is observed even at low light levels of microwatts, indicating high energy efficiency.

Improvement of the diffraction efficiency and kinetics of holographic gratings in photochromic media by auxiliary light

Holographic gratings recorded in photochromic media often do not obtain the maximally achievable diffraction efficiency because of diminishing the fringe contrast caused, e.g., by a photochemically active readout beam or unequal intensities of object and reference waves. For nonreversible materials this problem causes a decrease in diffraction efficiency that is proportional to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, in nonlinear materials such as photochromic media, for which saturation effects need to be considered, an out-of-proportion decrease in the SNR results. It is shown that an overshooting peak during hologram growth, which then decays to a lower permanent level of diffraction, is an indicator for such a situation. Even a weak readout beam may cause such effects, which significantly affect the hologram kinetics. The observed overshooting diffraction efficiency may even be misinterpreted to be dependent on material properties. Experimental and theoretical proof that with low levels of auxiliary light this type of problem can be eliminated completely is presented. Throughout this research bacteriorhodopsin films were used, but the results are valid for photochromic media in general.

Photoelectric response of polarization sensitive bacteriorhodopsin films

Polarization sensitivity is introduced into oriented bacteriorhodopsin (BR) films through a photochemical bleaching process, which chemically modifies the structure of the purple membrane by breaking the intrinsic symmetry of the membrane-bound BR trimers. The resulting photovoltage generated in an indium-tin oxide (ITO)/BR/ITO detector is found to be anisotropic with respect to cross-polarized probe beams. A model, based on the polarization dependent photoselection of the BR molecules qualitatively explains the photochemical bleaching process and the observed anisotropic response. The effect reported here can be used to construct a polarization sensitive BR-based bio-photoreceiver.

Bacteriorhodopsin modules for data processing with incoherent light

Incoherent optical processing with films made from the biological photochrome bacteriorhodopsin (BR) is accomplished by use of the photoinducible anisotropy of polymeric BR films. BR has two spectrally well separated states, B and M, both of which show a high degree of optical anisotropy. Whereas with green and blue light the BR molecule can be switched between the two states, the accompanying changes in the refractive index may be nondestructively read out by wavelengths in the red, e.g., at 676nm. As the sensitivity of CCD arrays is quite high for such wavelengths, even low-power light sources are sufficient for detection. We describe a BR-based XOR computing module for incoherent optical data processing.

Reflection-type polarization holograms in bacteriorhodopsin films for low-light recording

Reflection-type polarization holograms with phase-conjugated readout are very useful for low-light recording with bacteriorhodopsin (BR) films. The dependence of reflection-type holograms with parallel and orthogonal recording beams on their intensity ratio (1:1-1:20) was investigated. It was found that for orthogonally polarized beams the phase-conjugated signal depends significantly less on the beam intensity ratio than predicted by coupled-wave theory. This finding is of particular relevance for recording of very low object-beam intensities with BR films, e.g., in interferometry, where signals with a high signal-to-noise ratio, owing to the different polarizations of the scattered light and the signal, and with low dependence of the diffraction efficiency on the ratio between the reference and object-beam intensities are obtained. With this asymmetric recording process, holograms were recorded successfully in BR films with a good signal-to-noise ratio at exposures (from the object side) as low as 50muJ/cm(2) . These exposures are in the range of those typically used for silver halide films.