Journal of Physical Chemistry C
Journal of Physical Chemistry C
4 years ago

Quantum-Enhanced Capture of Photons Using Optical Ratchet States

Quantum-Enhanced Capture of Photons Using Optical Ratchet States
B. W. Lovett, K. D. B. Higgins, E. M. Gauger
Natural and artificial light harvesting systems often operate in a regime where the flux of photons is relatively low. Besides absorbing as many photons as possible, it is paramount to prevent excitons from annihilation via photon re-emission until they have undergone an irreversible energy conversion process. Taking inspiration from photosynthetic antenna structures, we here consider ringlike systems and introduce a class of states we call ratchets: excited states capable of absorbing but not emitting light. This allows our antennae to absorb further photons while retaining the excitations from those that have already been captured. Simulations for a ring of four sites reveal a peak power enhancement by up to a factor of 35 owing to a combination of ratcheting and the prevention of emission through dark-state population. In the slow extraction limit, the achievable power enhancement due to ratcheting alone exceeds 20%.

Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b07138

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b07138

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