Light-harvesting mechanisms probed in natural and artificial systems with atomic precision

In many areas of life, the interaction of light and matter is of central importance. Be it photosynthesis, luminescence or energy conversion, all these processes are based on the efficient absorption/emission of photons and the transport of the resulting excitation within a system. The absorption process and the chemical reaction ultimately triggered by it are separated by many energy transfer steps, as in photosynthesis.

Dr. Roslawska's project aims to investigate light-matter interactions in biologically relevant as well as artificial molecular systems at atomic resolution for the first time. To this end, nanostructures of molecules crucial for photosynthesis, such as chlorophyll and carotene, which are capable of absorbing single photons, will be fabricated. In this way, the propagating excitation and ultimate conversion into single charge carriers can be studied. Thanks to this approach, it will be possible for the first time to study crucial steps of light collection in natural systems with atomic precision.