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Updated: May 26, 2026

Imaging Ca2+ Dynamics in Cone Photoreceptor Axon Terminals of the Mouse Retina
Published on: May 6, 2015
Population branching in the conical intersection of the retinal chromophore revealed by multipulse ultrafast optical
Goran Zgrablić1, Anna Maria Novello, Fulvio Parmigiani
1T-ReX Laboratory, Sincrotrone Trieste, S.S. 14 km 163.5 in Area Science Park, I-34012 Basovizza Trieste, Italy. goran.zgrablic@elettra.trieste.it
Abstract:
The branching ratio of the excited-state population at the conical intersection between the S(1) and S(0) energy surfaces (Φ(CI)) of a protonated Schiff base of all-trans retinal in protic and aprotic solvents was studied by multipulse ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. In particular, pump-dump-probe experiments allowed to isolate the S(1) reactive state and to measure the photoisomerization time constant with unprecedented precision. Starting from these results, we demonstrate that the polarity of the solvent is the key factor influencing the Φ(CI) and the photoisomerization yield.
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