title: An ultrafast time-resolved anisotropy study of bacteriochlorophyll a in pyridine.
abstract: The transient absorption anisotropy spectrum of bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a) in pyridine was measured in the wavelength interval 550-850 nm, 1 ps after optical excitation with a 792-nm femtosecond light pulse. In the wavelength region of Q(y) absorption and stimulated emission (775-825 nm), the anisotropy was found to be close to the theoretically expected value (0.4) for a two-level system. In the wavelength region 650-750 nm, where the transient absorption signal is dominated by excited state absorption, the anisotropy is reduced to approximately 0.18. Anisotropy kinetics were measured at several wavelengths and found to be constant within the time window 0-5 ps, showing that no internal dynamics of the BChl a molecule change the anisotropy on the time scale of tens of picoseconds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, S-22100, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martinsson
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sundström
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akesson
mesh_terms: D001429:Bacteriochlorophylls / Q000737:chemistry*; D005454:Fluorescence Polarization / Q000379:methods*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001429:Bacteriochlorophylls; D011725:Pyridines; C023666:pyridine