Excitation energy dependence of excited states dynamics in all-trans-carotenes determined by femtosecond absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy

Ultrafast relaxation kinetics in β-carotene and lycopene has been investigated by femtosecond absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies using tunable excitation pulses. The transient signals induced by the photoexcitation with larger excess energy have broader bands and longer lifetimes both in the 1 1 B u + and 2 1 A g - excited states. The excess vibrational energy remains longer than several picoseconds and slows the relaxation kinetics in carotenoids.