1
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Timmer D, Lünemann DC, Riese S, Sio AD, Lienau C. Full visible range two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy with high time resolution. Opt Express 2024; 32:835-847. [PMID: 38175103 DOI: 10.1364/oe.511906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) is a powerful method to study coherent and incoherent interactions and dynamics in complex quantum systems by correlating excitation and detection energies in a nonlinear spectroscopy experiment. Such dynamics can be probed with a time resolution limited only by the duration of the employed laser pulses and in a spectral range defined by the pulse spectrum. In the blue spectral range (<500 nm), the generation of sufficiently broadband ultrashort pulses with pulse durations of 10 fs or less has been challenging so far. Here, we present a 2DES setup based on a hollow-core fiber supercontinuum covering the full visible range (400-700 nm). Pulse compression via custom-made chirped mirrors yields a time resolution of <10 fs. The broad spectral coverage, in particular the extension of the pulse spectra into the blue spectral range, unlocks new possibilities for coherent investigations of blue-light absorbing and multichromophoric compounds, as demonstrated by a 2DES measurement of chlorophyll a.
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2
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Timmer D, Gittinger M, Quenzel T, Stephan S, Zhang Y, Schumacher MF, Lützen A, Silies M, Tretiak S, Zhong JH, De Sio A, Lienau C. Plasmon mediated coherent population oscillations in molecular aggregates. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8035. [PMID: 38052786 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43578-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The strong coherent coupling of quantum emitters to vacuum fluctuations of the light field offers opportunities for manipulating the optical and transport properties of nanomaterials, with potential applications ranging from ultrasensitive all-optical switching to creating polariton condensates. Often, ubiquitous decoherence processes at ambient conditions limit these couplings to such short time scales that the quantum dynamics of the interacting system remains elusive. Prominent examples are strongly coupled exciton-plasmon systems, which, so far, have mostly been investigated by linear optical spectroscopy. Here, we use ultrafast two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy to probe the quantum dynamics of J-aggregate excitons collectively coupled to the spatially structured plasmonic fields of a gold nanoslit array. We observe rich coherent Rabi oscillation dynamics reflecting a plasmon-driven coherent exciton population transfer over mesoscopic distances at room temperature. This opens up new opportunities to manipulate the coherent transport of matter excitations by coupling to vacuum fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Timmer
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Moritz Gittinger
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Quenzel
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Sven Stephan
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
- Institute for Lasers and Optics, University of Applied Sciences, Emden, Germany
| | - Yu Zhang
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Marvin F Schumacher
- Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Arne Lützen
- Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Martin Silies
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
- Institute for Lasers and Optics, University of Applied Sciences, Emden, Germany
| | - Sergei Tretiak
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Jin-Hui Zhong
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Guangdong, China
| | - Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CeNaD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany.
- Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CeNaD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany.
- Forschungszentrum Neurosensorik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany.
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3
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Timmer D, Frederiksen A, Lünemann DC, Thomas AR, Xu J, Bartölke R, Schmidt J, Kubař T, De Sio A, Solov'yov IA, Mouritsen H, Lienau C. Tracking the Electron Transfer Cascade in European Robin Cryptochrome 4 Mutants. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:11566-11578. [PMID: 37195086 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The primary step in the mechanism by which migratory birds sense the Earth's magnetic field is thought to be the light-induced formation of long-lived magnetically sensitive radical pairs within cryptochrome flavoproteins located in the birds' retinas. Blue-light absorption by the non-covalently bound flavin chromophore triggers sequential electron transfers along a chain of four tryptophan residues toward the photoexcited flavin. The recently demonstrated ability to express cryptochrome 4a from the night-migratory European robin (Erithacus rubecula), ErCry4a, and to replace each of the tryptophan residues by a redox-inactive phenylalanine offers the prospect of exploring the roles of the four tryptophans. Here, we use ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy to compare wild type ErCry4a and four mutants having a phenylalanine at different positions in the chain. We find that each of the three tryptophan residues closest to the flavin adds a distinct relaxation component (time constants: 0.5, 30, and 150 ps) in the transient absorption data. The dynamics of the mutant containing a phenylalanine at the fourth position, furthest from the flavin, are very similar to those of wild type ErCry4a, except for a reduced concentration of long-lived radical pairs. The experimental results are evaluated and discussed in the framework of real-time quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical electron transfer simulations based on the density functional-based tight binding approach. This comparison between simulation results and experimental measurements provides a detailed microscopic insight into the sequential electron transfers along the tryptophan chain. Our results offer a route to the study of spin transport and dynamical spin correlations in flavoprotein radical pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Timmer
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Anders Frederiksen
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Daniel C Lünemann
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Anitta R Thomas
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Jingjing Xu
- Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Rabea Bartölke
- Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Jessica Schmidt
- Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Tomáš Kubař
- Department for Theoretical Chemical Biology, Institute for Physical Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kaiserstrasse 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CENAD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Institut für Physik, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Ilia A Solov'yov
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CENAD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Institut für Physik, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CENAD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Institut für Physik, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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4
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Timmer D, Zheng F, Gittinger M, Quenzel T, Lünemann DC, Winte K, Zhang Y, Madjet ME, Zablocki J, Lützen A, Zhong JH, De Sio A, Frauenheim T, Tretiak S, Lienau C. Charge Delocalization and Vibronic Couplings in Quadrupolar Squaraine Dyes. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:19150-19162. [PMID: 36206456 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c08682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Squaraines are prototypical quadrupolar charge-transfer chromophores that have recently attracted much attention as building blocks for solution-processed photovoltaics, fluorescent probes with large two-photon absorption cross sections, and aggregates with large circular dichroism. Their optical properties are often rationalized in terms of phenomenological essential state models, considering the coupling of two zwitterionic excited states to a neutral ground state. As a result, optical transitions to the lowest S1 excited state are one-photon allowed, whereas the next higher S2 state can only be accessed by two-photon transitions. A further implication of these models is a substantial reduction of vibronic coupling to the ubiquitous high-frequency vinyl-stretching modes of organic materials. Here, we combine time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy, two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy, and quantum-chemical simulations to test and rationalize these predictions for nonaggregated molecules. We find small Huang-Rhys factors below 0.01 for the high-frequency, 1500 cm-1 modes in particular, as well as a noticeable reduction for those of lower frequency modes in general for the electronic S0 → S1 transition. The two-photon allowed state S2 is well separated energetically from S1 and has weak vibronic signatures as well. Thus, the resulting pronounced concentration of the oscillator strength in a narrow region relevant to the lowest electronic transition makes squaraines and their aggregates exceptionally interesting for strong and ultrastrong coupling of excitons to localized light modes in external resonators with chiral properties that can largely be controlled by the molecular architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Timmer
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Fulu Zheng
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Bremen28359, Germany
| | - Moritz Gittinger
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Thomas Quenzel
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Daniel C Lünemann
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Katrin Winte
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Yu Zhang
- Theoretical Division and Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico87545, United States
| | - Mohamed E Madjet
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Bremen28359, Germany
| | - Jennifer Zablocki
- Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn53121, Germany
| | - Arne Lützen
- Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn53121, Germany
| | - Jin-Hui Zhong
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong518055, China
| | - Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany.,Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CeNaD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Thomas Frauenheim
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Bremen28359, Germany.,Beijing Computational Science Research Center (CSRC), Beijing100193, China.,Shenzhen Computational Science and Applied Research (CSAR) Institute, Shenzhen518110, China
| | - Sergei Tretiak
- Theoretical Division and Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico87545, United States
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany.,Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CeNaD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany.,Forschungszentrum Neurosensorik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
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5
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Quenzel T, Timmer D, Gittinger M, Zablocki J, Zheng F, Schiek M, Lützen A, Frauenheim T, Tretiak S, Silies M, Zhong JH, De Sio A, Lienau C. Plasmon-Enhanced Exciton Delocalization in Squaraine-Type Molecular Aggregates. ACS Nano 2022; 16:4693-4704. [PMID: 35188735 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c11398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Enlarging exciton coherence lengths in molecular aggregates is critical for enhancing the collective optical and transport properties of molecular thin film nanostructures or devices. We demonstrate that the exciton coherence length of squaraine aggregates can be increased from 10 to 24 molecular units at room temperature when preparing the aggregated thin film on a metallic rather than a dielectric substrate. Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy measurements reveal a much lower degree of inhomogeneous line broadening for aggregates on a gold film, pointing to a reduced disorder. The result is corroborated by simulations based on a Frenkel exciton model including exciton-plasmon coupling effects. The simulation shows that localized, energetically nearly resonant excitons on spatially well separated segments can be radiatively coupled via delocalized surface plasmon polariton modes at a planar molecule-gold interface. Such plasmon-enhanced delocalization of the exciton wave function is of high importance for improving the coherent transport properties of molecular aggregates on the nanoscale. Additionally, it may help tailor the collective optical response of organic materials for quantum optical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Quenzel
- Institut of Physics and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Daniel Timmer
- Institut of Physics and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Moritz Gittinger
- Institut of Physics and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Jennifer Zablocki
- Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Fulu Zheng
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Manuela Schiek
- Institut of Physics and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
- Forschungszentrum Neurosensorik, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Arne Lützen
- Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Thomas Frauenheim
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Bremen 28359, Germany
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center (CSRC), Beijing 100193, China
- Shenzhen Computational Science and Applied Research (CSAR) Institute, Shenzhen 518110, China
| | - Sergei Tretiak
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Martin Silies
- Institut of Physics and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
- Institute for Lasers and Optics, University of Applied Sciences, Emden 26723, Germany
| | - Jin-Hui Zhong
- Institut of Physics and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Antonietta De Sio
- Institut of Physics and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut of Physics and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
- Forschungszentrum Neurosensorik, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
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6
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Lünemann DC, Thomas AR, Xu J, Bartölke R, Mouritsen H, De Sio A, Lienau C. Distinguishing between coherent and incoherent signals in excitation-emission spectroscopy. Opt Express 2021; 29:24326-24337. [PMID: 34614680 DOI: 10.1364/oe.428850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The separation of incoherent emission signals from coherent light scattering often poses a challenge in (time-resolved) microscopy or excitation-emission spectroscopy. While in spectro-microscopy with narrowband excitation this is commonly overcome using spectral filtering, it is less straightforward when using broadband Fourier-transform techniques that are now becoming commonplace in, e.g., single molecule or ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopy. Here we show that such a separation is readily achieved using highly stable common-path interferometers for both excitation and detection. The approach is demonstrated for suppression of scattering from flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and weakly emissive cryptochrome 4 (Cry4) protein samples. We expect that the approach will be beneficial, e.g., for fluorescence lifetime or Raman-based imaging and spectroscopy of various samples, including single quantum emitters.
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7
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Xu Z, Zhou Y, Yam CY, Groß L, De Sio A, Frauenheim T, Lienau C, Chen G. Revealing generation, migration, and dissociation of electron-hole pairs and current emergence in an organic photovoltaic cell. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabf7672. [PMID: 34144986 PMCID: PMC8213226 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf7672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Using an innovative quantum mechanical method for an open quantum system, we observe in real time and space the generation, migration, and dissociation of electron-hole pairs, transport of electrons and holes, and current emergence in an organic photovoltaic cell. Ehrenfest dynamics is used to study photoexcitation of thiophene:fullerene stacks coupled with a time-dependent density functional tight-binding method. Our results display the generation of an electron-hole pair in the donor and its subsequent migration to the donor-acceptor interface. At the interface, electrons transfer from the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs) of thiophenes to the second LUMOs of fullerene. Further migration of electrons and holes leads to the emergence of current. These findings support previous experimental evidence of coherent couplings between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom and are expected to stimulate further work toward exploring the interplay between electron-hole pair (exciton) binding and vibronic coupling for charge separation and transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyao Xu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chi Yung Yam
- Shenzhen JL Computational Science and Applied Research Institute, Shenzhen 518110, China
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lynn Groß
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Am Fallturm 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Thomas Frauenheim
- Shenzhen JL Computational Science and Applied Research Institute, Shenzhen 518110, China
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100084, China
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Am Fallturm 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Guanhua Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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8
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De Sio A, Sommer E, Nguyen XT, Groß L, Popović D, Nebgen BT, Fernandez-Alberti S, Pittalis S, Rozzi CA, Molinari E, Mena-Osteritz E, Bäuerle P, Frauenheim T, Tretiak S, Lienau C. Intermolecular conical intersections in molecular aggregates. Nat Nanotechnol 2021; 16:63-68. [PMID: 33199882 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-020-00791-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Conical intersections (CoIns) of multidimensional potential energy surfaces are ubiquitous in nature and control pathways and yields of many photo-initiated intramolecular processes. Such topologies can be potentially involved in the energy transport in aggregated molecules or polymers but are yet to be uncovered. Here, using ultrafast two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES), we reveal the existence of intermolecular CoIns in molecular aggregates relevant for photovoltaics. Ultrafast, sub-10-fs 2DES tracks the coherent motion of a vibrational wave packet on an optically bright state and its abrupt transition into a dark state via a CoIn after only 40 fs. Non-adiabatic dynamics simulations identify an intermolecular CoIn as the source of these unusual dynamics. Our results indicate that intermolecular CoIns may effectively steer energy pathways in functional nanostructures for optoelectronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Ephraim Sommer
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Xuan Trung Nguyen
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Lynn Groß
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Duško Popović
- Institut für Organische Chemie II und Neue Materialien, Universität Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Sebastian Fernandez-Alberti
- National University of Quilmes/CONICET, Department of Science and Technology, Bernal (B1876BXD), Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
| | | | | | - Elisa Molinari
- Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Modena, Italy
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Informatiche e Matematiche, Modena, Italy
| | - Elena Mena-Osteritz
- Institut für Organische Chemie II und Neue Materialien, Universität Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Peter Bäuerle
- Institut für Organische Chemie II und Neue Materialien, Universität Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas Frauenheim
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Computational Science Research Center, Beijing and Computational Science and Applied Research Institute Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sergei Tretiak
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
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9
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Xu Z, Zhou Y, Groß L, De Sio A, Yam CY, Lienau C, Frauenheim T, Chen G. Coherent Real-Space Charge Transport Across a Donor-Acceptor Interface Mediated by Vibronic Couplings. Nano Lett 2019; 19:8630-8637. [PMID: 31698905 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b03194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
There is growing experimental and theoretical evidence that vibronic couplings, couplings between electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom, play a fundamental role in ultrafast excited-state dynamics in organic donor-acceptor hybrids. Whereas vibronic coupling has been shown to support charge separation at donor-acceptor interfaces, so far, little is known about its role in the real-space transport of charges in such systems. Here we theoretically study charge transport in thiophene:fullerene stacks using time-dependent density functional tight-binding theory combined with Ehrenfest molecular dynamics for open systems. Our results reveal coherent oscillations of the charge density between neighboring donor sites, persisting for ∼200 fs and promoting charge transport within the polymer stacks. At the donor-acceptor interface, vibronic wave packets are launched, propagating coherently over distances of more than 3 nm into the acceptor region. This supports previous experimental observations of long-range ballistic charge-carrier motion in organic photovoltaic systems and highlights the importance of vibronic coupling engineering as a concept for tailoring the functionality of hybrid organic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyao Xu
- Department of Chemistry , University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Chemistry , University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , China
| | - Lynn Groß
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science , University of Bremen , Am Fallturm 1 , 28359 Bremen , Germany
| | - Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science , Carl von Ossietzky Universität , Oldenburg 26129 , Germany
| | - Chi Yung Yam
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center , Beijing 100084 , China
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science , Carl von Ossietzky Universität , Oldenburg 26129 , Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science , Carl von Ossietzky Universität , Oldenburg 26111 , Germany
| | - Thomas Frauenheim
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science , University of Bremen , Am Fallturm 1 , 28359 Bremen , Germany
| | - GuanHua Chen
- Department of Chemistry , University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , China
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10
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Nguyen XT, Timmer D, Rakita Y, Cahen D, Steinhoff A, Jahnke F, Lienau C, De Sio A. Ultrafast Charge Carrier Relaxation in Inorganic Halide Perovskite Single Crystals Probed by Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:5414-5421. [PMID: 31449755 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b01936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Halide perovskites are promising optoelectronic materials. Despite impressive device performance, especially in photovoltaics, the femtosecond dynamics of elementary optical excitations and their interactions are still debated. Here we combine ultrafast two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) and semiconductor Bloch equations (SBEs) to probe the room-temperature dynamics of nonequilibrium excitations in CsPbBr3 crystals. Experimentally, we distinguish between excitonic and free-carrier transitions, extracting a ∼30 meV exciton binding energy, in agreement with our SBE calculations and with recent experimental studies. The 2DES dynamics indicate remarkably short, <30 fs carrier relaxation at a ∼3 meV/fs rate, much faster than previously anticipated for this material, but similar to that in direct band gap semiconductors such as GaAs. Dynamic screening of excitons by free carriers also develops on a similarly fast <30 fs time scale, emphasizing the role of carrier-carrier interactions for this material's optical properties. Our results suggest that strong electron-phonon couplings lead to ultrafast relaxation of charge carriers, which, in turn may limit halide perovskites' carrier mobilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Trung Nguyen
- Institut für Physik , Carl von Ossietzky Universität , 26129 Oldenburg , Germany
| | - Daniel Timmer
- Institut für Physik , Carl von Ossietzky Universität , 26129 Oldenburg , Germany
| | - Yevgeny Rakita
- Department of Materials & Interfaces , Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 76100 , Israel
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials & Interfaces , Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 76100 , Israel
| | - Alexander Steinhoff
- Institut für Theoretische Physik , Universität Bremen , 28359 Bremen , Germany
| | - Frank Jahnke
- Institut für Theoretische Physik , Universität Bremen , 28359 Bremen , Germany
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik , Carl von Ossietzky Universität , 26129 Oldenburg , Germany
| | - Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik , Carl von Ossietzky Universität , 26129 Oldenburg , Germany
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11
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Sommer E, De Sio A, Mena-Osteritz E, Bäuerle P, Lienau C. Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy reveals ultrafast dynamics at a conical intersection in an organic photovoltaic material. EPJ Web Conf 2019. [DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/201920506014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy with sub-10-fs time resolution reveals signatures of vibronic coupling and wavepacket motion through a conical intersection in the initial charge separation dynamics of an acceptor-donor-acceptor oligomer thin film for organic solar cells.
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Abstract
Ultrafast two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy reveals vibronically-assisted coherent charge transport and separation in organic materials and opens up new perspectives for artificial light-to-current conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität
- Oldenburg 26129
- Germany
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität
- Oldenburg 26129
- Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science
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13
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De Sio A, Troiani F, Maiuri M, Réhault J, Sommer E, Lim J, Huelga SF, Plenio MB, Rozzi CA, Cerullo G, Molinari E, Lienau C. Tracking the coherent generation of polaron pairs in conjugated polymers. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13742. [PMID: 27929115 PMCID: PMC5155154 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The optical excitation of organic semiconductors not only generates charge-neutral electron-hole pairs (excitons), but also charge-separated polaron pairs with high yield. The microscopic mechanisms underlying this charge separation have been debated for many years. Here we use ultrafast two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy to study the dynamics of polaron pair formation in a prototypical polymer thin film on a sub-20-fs time scale. We observe multi-period peak oscillations persisting for up to about 1 ps as distinct signatures of vibronic quantum coherence at room temperature. The measured two-dimensional spectra show pronounced peak splittings revealing that the elementary optical excitations of this polymer are hybridized exciton-polaron-pairs, strongly coupled to a dominant underdamped vibrational mode. Coherent vibronic coupling induces ultrafast polaron pair formation, accelerates the charge separation dynamics and makes it insensitive to disorder. These findings open up new perspectives for tailoring light-to-current conversion in organic materials.
Understanding of charge transfer dynamics is essential to the design of high-performance organic semiconductors for optoelectronic applications. Here, the authors show that excitons, polaron pairs and a long-lived vibrational mode are strongly coupled to each other up to 1 picosecond in polythiophene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg 26129, Germany.,Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Filippo Troiani
- Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Centro S3, via Campi 213a, Modena 41125, Italy
| | - Margherita Maiuri
- IFN-CNR, Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Julien Réhault
- IFN-CNR, Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Ephraim Sommer
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg 26129, Germany.,Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - James Lim
- Institut für Theoretische Physik and IQST, Universität Ulm, Ulm 89069, Germany
| | - Susana F Huelga
- Institut für Theoretische Physik and IQST, Universität Ulm, Ulm 89069, Germany
| | - Martin B Plenio
- Institut für Theoretische Physik and IQST, Universität Ulm, Ulm 89069, Germany
| | - Carlo Andrea Rozzi
- Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Centro S3, via Campi 213a, Modena 41125, Italy
| | - Giulio Cerullo
- IFN-CNR, Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Elisa Molinari
- Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Centro S3, via Campi 213a, Modena 41125, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Informatiche, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Campi 213a, Modena 41125, Italy
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg 26129, Germany.,Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg 26129, Germany.,Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
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Wang W, Vasa P, Pomraenke R, Vogelgesang R, De Sio A, Sommer E, Maiuri M, Manzoni C, Cerullo G, Lienau C. Interplay between strong coupling and radiative damping of excitons and surface plasmon polaritons in hybrid nanostructures. ACS Nano 2014; 8:1056-64. [PMID: 24377290 DOI: 10.1021/nn405981k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
We report on the interplay between strong coupling and radiative damping of strongly coupled excitons (Xs) and surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in a hybrid system made of J-aggregates and metal nanostructures. The optical response of the system is probed at the field level by angle-resolved spectral interferometry. We show that two different energy transfer channels coexist: coherent resonant dipole-dipole interaction and an incoherent exchange due to the spontaneous emissions of a photon by one emitter and its subsequent reabsorption by another. The interplay between both pathways results in a pronounced modification of the radiative damping due to the formation of super- and subradiant polariton states. This is confirmed by probing the ultrafast nonlinear response of the polariton system and explained within a coupled oscillator model. Such a strong modification of the radiative damping opens up interesting directions in coherent active plasmonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany
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Triantou D, Soulis S, Koureli S, De Sio A, von Hauff E. Thiophene-based copolymers synthesized by electropolymerization for application as hole transport layer in organic solar cells. J Appl Polym Sci 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/app.37831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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