Environment-modified three-body energy transfer

Waller, M. C. and Bennett, R. (2022) Environment-modified three-body energy transfer. Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, 106(4), 043107. (doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.106.043107)

Abstract

Resonant energy transfer from a donor to an acceptor is one of the most basic interactions between atomic and molecular systems. In real-life situations, the donor and acceptor are not isolated but in fact coupled to their environment and to other atoms and molecules. The presence of a third body can modify the rate of energy transfer between donor and acceptor in distinctive and intricate ways, especially when the three-site system is itself interacting with a larger macroscopic background such as a solvent. The rate can be calculated perturbatively, which ordinarily requires the summation of very large numbers of Feynman-like diagrams. Here we demonstrate a method based on canonical perturbation theory that allows us to reduce the computational effort required, and use this technique to derive a formula for the rate of three-body resonance energy transfer in a background environment. As a proof of principle, we apply this to the situation of a dimer positioned near a dielectric interface, with a distant third molecule controlling the rate, finding both enhancement or suppression of the rate depending on system parameters.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Waller, Madeline and Bennett, Dr Robert
• Authors: Waller, M. C., and Bennett, R.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Journal Name: Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• ISSN: 1050-2947
• ISSN (Online): 1094-1622
• Published Online: 13 October 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 American Physical Society
• First Published: First published in Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics 106(4): 043107
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
312561		EPSRC DTP 2020/21	Christopher Pearce	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)	EP/T517896/1	Research and Innovation Services
313206		Helicity-dependent quantum phases.	Joerg Goette	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)	EP/V048449/1	P&S - Physics & Astronomy