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Published on: November 6, 2018
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A Nanophotonic Structure Containing Living Photosynthetic Bacteria.
David Coles1, Lucas C Flatten2, Thomas Sydney3
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S3 7RH, UK.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|August 16, 2017
Summary
Living photosynthetic bacteria, Chlorobaculum tepidum, were placed in a photonic microcavity, creating hybrid light-matter states called polaritons. This demonstrates tuning biological energy levels using light-confining structures.
Area of Science:
- Photosynthesis research
- Quantum biology
- Nanophotonics
Background:
- Photosynthetic organisms utilize nanostructures for efficient energy transfer.
- Chlorosomes in Chlorobaculum tepidum capture light and form excitons.
- Exciton energy migrates through specific complexes to reaction centers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the strong exciton-photon coupling in living photosynthetic bacteria.
- To explore the formation of polaritons in biological systems.
- To demonstrate the tunability of biological energy levels using photonic microcavities.
Main Methods:
- Enclosing living Chlorobaculum tepidum within a photonic microcavity.
- Inducing strong coupling between microcavity modes and chlorosome exciton states.
- Observing the formation and properties of polariton states.
Main Results:
- Achieved strong exciton-photon coupling in living bacteria.
- Observed the formation of hybrid light-matter polariton states.
- Demonstrated that polariton energy can be tuned by modifying the microcavity's optical modes.
Conclusions:
- This study is the first to modify energy levels in living biological systems using photonic structures.
- The findings open new avenues for controlling light-harvesting processes in photosynthesis.
- Polariton formation offers a novel mechanism for manipulating energy transfer in biological systems.
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