[MOS] March 1, 2011

[Zina M Queen]

Seminar on


Modern Optics and Spectroscopy

Resonance energy transfer theories: from experiments to classical theory to quantum mechanical theories

Barry Masters,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

12:00 – 1:00 p.m



Resonance energy transfer is a powerful technique to measure distances and structural changes in the nanometer scale. The plethora of applications of this technique to chemistry, biology and medicine is a metric of the impact of this optical technique. Scientists often use the textbook formulations of the rate equations; however, sometimes without a critical understanding of the inherent assumptions and limitations of the theory, to derive quantitative conclusions. Where did these mathematical formulations of resonance energy transfer come from? What experiments indicated the existence of the phenomena? This talk provides insights into the theoretical developments and the experiments of all the scientists who came before Theodor Förster. I have reviewed the French and German papers that described the physics of energy transfer. The theorists and the experimentalists include: the Perrins (father and son), Heisenberg (1926-his paper on energy transfer between two harmonic oscillators), Kallmann and London, Förster's Classical theory of Resonance Energy Transfer (1946), Förster Quantum Theory of resonance Energy Transfer (1948), Oppenheimer and Arnold (1950), and Hans Kuhn. I describe the physical aspects of these theories, the approximations used (dipole-dipole interactions; vibronic interactions etc) and the mathematics of their theories. Finally, how were each of these theories validated (or not) by experimental results. What are the limitations of each theory and when are they inappropriately used?


Grier Room, MIT Bldg 34-401
Refreshments served after the lecture
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