Selective Spectroscopy of Single Molecules

This book is a comprehensive guide to the theory of optical band shape of guest-molecule-doped crystals, polymers and glasses. The dynamics of a single molecule, measured with the help of a train of photons emitted at random time moments, is a main subject of the book. The dynamics is calculated with the help of quantum-mechanical methods and equations for the density matrix of the system consisting of a single chromophore interacting with light, phonons and non-equilibrium tunneling systems of polymers and glasses. A dynamical theory for one- and two-photon counting methods used in single molecule spectroscopy is presented. Photon bunching and antibunching, jumps of optical lines, and quantum trajectories of various types are further topics addressed. This is the first book to present a detailed theoretical basis for single molecule spectroscopy. It also describes numerous experimental applications of the theory.