Terrylene in hexadecane revisited: a hole burning study

Area of Science:

• Physical Chemistry
• Spectroscopy
• Condensed Matter Physics

Background:

• Spectral hole burning is a technique used to study amorphous solids.
• Terrylene in hexadecane exhibits complex spectral diffusion and line broadening phenomena.
• Understanding these phenomena is crucial for developing advanced optical materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the unusual spectral diffusion and thermal line broadening of terrylene in hexadecane.
• To elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed spectral features.
• To interpret the behavior using a theoretical model.

Main Methods:

• Spectral hole burning experiments were conducted on terrylene in hexadecane.
• Temperature-dependent measurements were performed across a range of cryogenic temperatures (2-20 K).
• Analysis involved examining spectral diffusion, line broadening, and hole profiles.

Main Results:

• Observed a narrowing regime of spectral diffusion at low temperatures (2-5 K), followed by a plateau and broadening.
• Identified non-monotonous thermal line broadening with a maximum around 4 K and a minimum.
• The central hole displayed unique one-sided, narrowly spaced side features.

Conclusions:

• The observed phenomena are explained by a two-site model involving a standard two-level system and a multilevel system.
• The two sites exhibit distinct optical linewidths, phototransformation yields, and thermal stabilities.
• This work provides insights into the complex dynamics of guest-host systems in amorphous matrices.