Picosecond Coherent and Incoherent Dynamics in Proteins
Abstract
There are two critical questions in the quantum protein dynamics: (1) the time scale of decoherence of coherent vibrational excitations of proteins, and (2) the rate of transport of quantum vibrations along the amide I polymer chain. We have carried out a series of experiments at FELIX, a free-electron laser (FEL) in the Netherlands which attacked these critical questions. We found that there does not exist a highly narrow and long-lived coherent state in the amide I band, in spite of Austin's initial excitement that he had stumbled upon this effect. It remains a mystery why this large and narrow scattering signal appears exactly where one would NOT expect to see a temperature grating signal, namely at the temperature isosbestic point.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA462891
Entities
People
- Aihua Xie
- Robert H. Austin
Organizations
- Princeton University