Molecular response in one-photon absorption via natural thermal light vs. pulsed laser excitation. 


Author: Brumer P, Shapiro M.

Affiliation: Chemical Physics Theory Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3H6. pbrumer@chem.utoronto.ca 
Conference/Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
Date published: 2012 Nov 27
Other:
 Volume ID: 109   ,  Issue ID: 48   ,  Pages: 19575-8   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1073/pnas.1211209109   ,  Word Count: 120  
    

Photoinduced biological processes occur via one-photon absorption in natural light, which is weak, continuous wave, and incoherent, but are often studied in the laboratory using pulsed coherent light. Here, we compare the response of a molecule to these two very different sources within a quantized radiation field picture. The latter is shown to induce coherent time evolution in the molecule, whereas the former does not. As a result, the coherent time dependence observed in the laboratory experiments will not be relevant to the natural biological process. Emphasis is placed on resolving confusions regarding this issue that are shown to arise from aspects of quantum measurement and from a lack of appreciation of the proper description of the absorbed photon.

PMID: 23150567