DNA PHOTONICS

This dissertation introduces a new field of DNA photonics centering on the electronic properties of DNA, which emerges after the initial controversies regarding the long-range conductivity and wire-type behavior of DNA have been widely settled. DNA photonics study is not solely focused on charge transfer phenomena but encompasses all possible photophysical processes and their potentially complex interplays. For instance, ultrafast electronic energy migration, dissipation, and (de)localization on the femtosecond time scale are shown to be crucial for the description of light-induced dynamics in DNA and have been thoroughly investigated in this dissertation. In addition to measurements on natural single and double-stranded DNA, this dissertation also presents experimental data on a series of functionalized DNA systems obtained by state-of-the-art femtosecond broadband pump-probe spectroscopy. The results illustrate the distance dependence of charge transfer, emphasize the role of the initial electronic excitation on energy transfer dynamics, and highlight the influence of structural factors on both processes in DNA.