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Controllable Snail-Paced Light in Biological Bacteriorhodopsin Thin Film

Pengfei Wu and D. V. G. L. N. Rao
Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 253601 – Published 12 December 2005
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Abstract

We observe that the group velocity of light is reduced to an extremely low value of 0.091mm/s in a biological thin film of bacteriorhodopsin at room temperature. By exploiting unique features of a flexible photoisomerization process for coherent population oscillation, the velocity is all-optically controlled over an enormous span, from snail-paced to normal light speed, with no need of modifying the characteristics of the incident pulse. Because of the large quantum yield for the photoreaction in this biochemical system, the ultraslow light is observed even at low light levels of microwatts, indicating high energy efficiency.

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  • Received 17 May 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.253601

©2005 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Pengfei Wu* and D. V. G. L. N. Rao

  • Physics Department, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, USA

  • *To whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic address: 5pengfei@gmail.com

See Also

Slowing Light with Biology

Kim Krieger
Phys. Rev. Focus 17, 1 (2006)

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Issue

Vol. 95, Iss. 25 — 16 December 2005

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