Picosecond Optical Switching Based on Biphotonic Excitation of an Electron Donor-Acceptor-Donor Molecule

• DOI: 10.1126/science.257.5066.63
• Publication Date: 2006-10-05T23:03:06Z
• Authors: Michael P. O'Neil; Mark P. Niemczyk; Walter A. Svec; David Gosztola; George L. Gaines; Michael R. Wasiel...
• Keywords: Picosecond; Acceptor; Electron acceptor

An electron donor-acceptor-donor molecule consisting of two porphyrin donors rigidly attached to the two-electron acceptor N,N ′-diphenyl-3,4,9,10-perylenebis(dicarboximide) acts as a light intensity—dependent molecular switch on picosecond time scale. Excitation porphyrins within this with subpicosecond laser pulses results in single or double reduction depending intensity. The singly and doubly reduced acceptors absorb strongly at 713 546 nanometers, respectively. Because these absorption changes are produced solely by transfers, effectively has no moving parts switches significantly faster than photochromic molecules that must undergo structure.