Design of molecular photonic wires based on multistep electronic excitation transfer

Light-harvesting complexes, one of nature's supreme examples of nonoscole engineering, have inspired researchers to construct optical devices, such as photonic wires, which ore optimised for efficient transfer of excited-state energy over large distances. The control parameters for the design and the advantages of single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy for the study of such complex systems are discussed with respect to energy-transfer mechanisms, chromophore selection and arrangement as well as static and dynamic heterogeneity.