We computationally demonstrate the existence of extreme parametric sensitivity in various excited state processes in biological light-harvesting chromophores. Examples include the fluorescence emission quantum yield of a single molecule in the condensed phase and the exciton-exciton annihilation efficiency in a three-site model mimicking the two lowest bands of an LH2 pigment protein complex. Our analysis shows that the key to observing such an extreme sensitivity is a competition between dissipative processes of comparable time scales. The possibility of experimental verification is discussed.

Parametric sensitivity of excited state processes in biology and condensed phase

ACS Spring 2022

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