| description: |
The goal of the current project is to understand in much greater details than presently available the nature of light excitations in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes. To achieve this goal, we combine experimental studies with theoretical developments and straightforward model numerical calculations. For example, exciton self-trapping has special features in finite systems, like antenna aggregates, which need to be explored. The main experimental approach includes using of high hydrostatic pressures to tune intermolecular and exciton-lattice couplings in a controllable manner, without changing the structure of the protein and chemical nature of the pigments. Pressure stabilizes the self-trapped exciton/excimer states allowing their extensive study. The promise of this investigation is that new aspects of photsynthetic energy transfer and trapping may emerge. The results are likely to be important for synthetic photosensitive systems based on polymers, dendrimers, fullerens, quantum dots and other advanced materials. |