Multi-channel lock-in amplifier assisted femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence non-collinear optical parametric amplification spectroscopy with efficient rejection of superfluorescence background

Unraveling the excited-state vibrational cooling dynamics of chlorophyll-a using femtosecond broadband fluorescence spectroscopy

Understanding the dynamics of excited-state vibrational energy relaxation in photosynthetic pigments is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms underlying energy transfer processes in light-harvesting complexes. Utilizing advanced femtosecond broadband transient fluorescence (TF) spectroscopy, we explored the excited-state vibrational dynamics of Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) both in solution and within the light-harvesting complex II (LHCII). We discovered a vibrational cooling (VC) process occurring over ∼6 ps in Chl-a in ethanol solution following Soret band excitation, marked by a notable ultrafast TF blueshift and spectral narrowing. This VC process, crucial for regulating the vibronic lifetimes, was further elucidated through the direct observation of the population dynamics of higher vibrational states within the Qy electronic state. Notably, Chl-a within LHCII demonstrated significantly faster VC dynamics, unfolding within a few hundred femtoseconds and aligning with the ultrafast energy transfer processes observed within the complex. Our findings shed light on the complex interaction between electronic and vibrational states in photosynthetic pigments, underscoring the pivotal role of vibrational dynamics in enabling efficient energy transfer within light-harvesting complexes.

Noncollinear Optical Parametric Amplification of Broadband Infrared Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

Sum-frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy is an invaluable tool in surface science, known for its specificity to surfaces and interfaces. Despite its wide application, it is often hampered by weak signal detection. Here, we present an innovative enhancement technique of postsample amplification, using a picosecond noncollinear optical parametric amplifier (NOPA). We conducted a systematical investigation into the impact of different intensities of pump and SFG seed light, as the input signal in NOPA, and demonstrated this method on the octadecanethiol (ODT) molecules on gold films. The amplified SFG by NOPA reproduced the SFG vibrational spectra, enhanced by about 4 orders of magnitude but with broader spectral resolution due to the short pulse width of the pump light in NOPA. This study makes it possible to realize highly sensitive SFG measurements, marking a significant advancement in spectroscopic analysis techniques.

Femtosecond fluorescence conical optical parametric amplification spectroscopy

Parametric superfluorescence (PSF), which originated from the optical amplification of vacuum quantum noise, is the primary noise source of femtosecond fluorescence non-collinear optical parametric amplification spectroscopy (FNOPAS). It severely affects the detection limit of FNOPAS to collect the femtosecond time-resolved spectra of extremely weak fluorescence. Here, we report the development of femtosecond fluorescence conical optical parametric amplification spectroscopy (FCOPAS), aimed at effectively suppressing the noise fluctuation from the PSF background. In contrast to traditional FNOPAS configurations utilizing lateral fluorescence collection and dot-like parametric amplification, FCOPAS employs an innovative conical fluorescence collection and ring-like amplification setup. This design enables effective cancellation of noise fluctuation across the entire PSF ring, resulting in an approximate order of magnitude reduction in PSF noise compared to prior FNOPAS outcomes. This advancement enables the resolution of transient fluorescence spectra of 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-p-dimethylaminostyryl-4H-pyran (DCM) dye molecules in ethanol, even at an optically dilute concentration of 10-6 mol/l, with significantly enhanced signal-to-noise ratios. This improvement will be significant for extremely weak fluorescence detection on the femtosecond time scale.

Cryo-EM and femtosecond spectroscopic studies provide mechanistic insight into the energy transfer in CpcL-phycobilisomes

Phycobilisomes (PBS) are the major light harvesting complexes of photosynthesis in the cyanobacteria and red algae. CpcL-PBS is a type of small PBS in cyanobacteria that transfers energy directly to photosystem I without the core structure. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of the CpcL-PBS from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 at 2.6-Å resolution. The structure shows the CpcD domain of ferredoxin: NADP⁺ oxidoreductase is located at the distal end of CpcL-PBS, responsible for its attachment to PBS. With the evidence of ultrafast transient absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, the roles of individual bilins in energy transfer are revealed. The bilin ^1Iβ⁸²₂ located near photosystem I has an enhanced planarity and is the red-bilin responsible for the direct energy transfer to photosystem I.

A flexible and scalable, fully software-based lock-in amplifier for nonlinear spectroscopy

We demonstrate a cost-effective, fully software-based lock-in amplifier (LIA) implemented on a commercial computer. The device is designed for application in nonlinear spectroscopy, such as transient absorption and coherent multidimensional spectroscopy, but may also be used in any other application. The performance of our device is compared to a state-of-the-art commercial LIA with nearly identical results for both devices. Advantages of our device over commercial hardwired electronic LIAs are the improved flexibility in the data analysis and the possibility of arbitrary up-scaling of the number of LIA channels.

Ultrafast carrier and phonon dynamics in few-layer 2H-MoTe2

By using femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy with broadband detection from near-infrared to midinfrared, the carrier and phonon dynamics in few-layer 2H-MoTe₂ after ultrafast excitation have been investigated in detail. Immediately following the photoexcitation, an ultrafast relaxation of the generated hot carriers by releasing phonons is observed within hundreds of femtoseconds. The subsequent electron-hole recombination with a time constant of ∼1.5 ps is clearly identified and demonstrated to be mediated through a defect-assisted process. Furthermore, we confirm that the observed redshift of the exciton resonance energy on longer time scales arises from the ultrafast thermalization of the 2H-MoTe₂ lattice caused by the transfer of electronic excitation to the phonon system. As a result, the thermalization dynamics of the lattice within 2 ps and the following cooling process of the phonon system on the 100 ps time scale are directly monitored.

Effect of trap states on photocatalytic properties of boron-doped anatase TiO2 microspheres studied by time-resolved infrared spectroscopy

The photocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen evolution switching effect in the water splitting of two boron-doped anatase TiO₂ microspheres was elucidated from the viewpoint of trap states.

Ultrafast Energy Dissipation via Coupling with Internal and External Phonons in Two-Dimensional MoS2

Atomically thin two-dimensional materials have emerged as a promising system for optoelectronic applications; however, the low quantum yield, mainly caused by nonradiative energy dissipation, has greatly limited practical applications. To reveal the details for nonradiative energy channels, femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy with a detection wavelength ranging from visible to near-infrared to mid-infrared is performed on few-layer MoS₂. With this method, the many-body effects, occupation effects, and phonon dynamics are clearly identified. In particular, thermalization of the MoS₂ lattice via electron-phonon scattering is responsible for a redshift of the exciton resonance energy observed within tens to hundreds of picoseconds after photoexcitation, which provides a direct real-time sensor for measuring the change in lattice temperature. We find that the excess energy from the cooling of hot carriers and the formation of bound carriers is efficiently transferred to the internal phonon system within 2 ps, while that from Shockley-Read-Hall recombination (∼9 ps) is mainly dissipated from the MoS₂ surfaces to external phonons.