title: Wavelet analysis of molecular dynamics: efficient extraction of time-frequency information in ultrafast optical processes.
abstract: New experimental techniques based on nonlinear ultrafast spectroscopies have been developed over the last few years, and have been demonstrated to provide powerful probes of quantum dynamics in different types of molecular aggregates, including both natural and artificial light harvesting complexes. Fourier transform-based spectroscopies have been particularly successful, yet "complete" spectral information normally necessitates the loss of all information on the temporal sequence of events in a signal. This information though is particularly important in transient or multi-stage processes, in which the spectral decomposition of the data evolves in time. By going through several examples of ultrafast quantum dynamics, we demonstrate that the use of wavelets provide an efficient and accurate way to simultaneously acquire both temporal and frequency information about a signal, and argue that this greatly aids the elucidation and interpretation of physical process responsible for non-stationary spectroscopic features, such as those encountered in coherent excitonic energy transport.
authors: Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Cartagena 30202, Spain.
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Prior
authors: Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Cartagena 30202, Spain.
authors: Enrique
authors: E
authors: Castro
authors: Theory of Condensed Matter Group, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
authors: Alex W
authors: AW
authors: Chin
authors: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Universität Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany.
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Almeida
authors: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Universität Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany.
authors: Susana F
authors: SF
authors: Huelga
authors: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Universität Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany.
authors: Martin B
authors: MB
authors: Plenio