Unusual enhancement of triplet carotenoid formation in pigmentprotein complexes as revealed by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy

Ultrafast excited state dynamics of carotenoids in solution and bound to pigment-protein complexes have been investigated by means of femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopic measurements. Ultrafast triplet formation of carotenoids bound to pigmentprotein complexes was observed upon excitation of both carotenoids and bacteriochlorophyll. The anomalous reaction of triplet formation of carotenoids bound to pigment-protein complexes is discussed in terms of ultrafast triplet-triplet excitation energy transfer between carotenoid and bacteriochlorophyll.