Colloquium FRIAS Research Focus Quantum Transport - Tjaart Krüger: A single-molecule perspective on natural light harvesting: quantum phenomena, functional switching, design principles.

There exist a plethora of photosynthetic light-harvesting systems, virtually all of which are capable of delivering the energy of an absorbed photon at a phenomenal rate and efficiency to the photochemical reaction centre. During the past few years we have shed light on the spectroscopic diversity and biological regulation at the level of a single light-harvesting pigment-protein complex from algae, bacteria, phytoplankton, and plants. In this colloquium I will present a bird’s view on my main findings during the past five years and give a glimpse of the topics I will soon be addressing in South Africa using our newly assembled experimental setups.