Broad Band Enhancement of Light Absorption in Photosystem I by Metal Nanoparticle Antennas

The photosystem I (PS I) protein is one of nature's most efficient light harvesting complexes and exhibits outstanding optoelectronic properties. Here we demonstrate how metal nanoparticles which act as artificial antennas can enhance the light absorption of the protein. This hybrid system shows an increase in light absorption and of circular dichroism over the entire absorption band of the protein rather than at the specific plasmon resonance wavelength of spherical metal nanoparticles (NPs). This is explained by broad-resonant and nonresonant field enhancements caused by metal NP aggregates, by the high dielectric constant of the metal, and by NP -PS I-NP antenna junctions which effectively enhance light absorption in the PS I.