The control and understanding of motion of molecular excitations in nanoscale systems is of fundamental interest in the physical chemistry of condensed phases as well as for technological purposes (artificial light-harvesting systems, solar cells, all-optical circuits). In this talk, I would like to address our recent efforts designing hybrid organic/inorganic nanostructures that guide molecular excitations selectively across space. We do so with a lattice of porphyrins as well as with organic crystals strongly coupled with surface plasmons. Our theoretical studies indicate that good control over motion of molecular excitations can be carried out by mimicking "topological insulator" Hamiltonians encountered traditionally in electronic bandstructures in the solid state. Further possibilities in a chemical context are discussed.

One-way molecular excitations: Topological insulator analogues for excitons and plexcitons

251st National Meeting (2016)

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