International Workshop on ''Atomic Physics''
mpipks

November 24 - 28, 2008

Focus on
"Quantum dynamics of atoms and molecules
in complex environments"

A stochastic Schrödinger equation approach to quantum aggregates
Alexander Eisfeld
mpipks Dresden
Since their discovery in the 1930's, molecular aggregates have attracted experimental and theoretical research, due to their unique linear and non-linear optical properties [1]. Furthermore they are possible candidates for artificial light harvesting units.

The properties of such molecular aggregates are strongly affected not only by disorder caused by the environment, but also by internal vibrations of the constituting monomers, which couple strongly to electronic excitation [2].
To understand the optical properties and the energy transfer dynamics of molecular aggregates a theory has to take into account these effects properly.

Using a new approach based on a non-Markovian stochastic Schroedinger equation [3] allows the non-perturbative treatment of internal vibrational modes of the monomers which are coupled to the surrounding.

[1] T. Kobayashi,(ed.) J-Aggregates, World Scientific, 1996
[2] A. Eisfeld, J. S. Briggs, Chem. Phys. 324, (2006) 376
[3] T. Yu, L. Diosi, N. Gisin, W. T. Strunz, Phys. Rev. A. 60, (1999) 91