Analysis of vibronic mode coupling in pentacene by fully resonant coherent four-wave mixing

Abstract

This paper develops the theoretical framework for the analysis of relative peak intensities in fully resonant, three laser, coherent four-wave mixing spectra of molecular vibrational and vibronic levels. For a Franck–Condon system, the relative vibronic peak intensities are shown to scale as the square of the absorption spectrum for all resonances not associated with the normal mode selected by the fixed vibrational resonance. A large enhancement of vibronic resonances involving the selected mode is predicted for typical potential well offsets. Higher order mode coupling causes deviations from these predictions by allowing other coupled resonances to be enhanced as well. Vibrational peak intensities are similarly related to the emission spectrum. Pentacene in benzoic acid mixed crystals at 2 K are used to experimentally study the mode mixing effects. It is shown that important coupling occurs between the 747.7 and 790.8 cm−1 vibronic modes of the pentacene S1 electronic state. Two possible mechanisms for this coupling are suggested. This work shows that the relative intensities of vibrational and vibronic resonances in fully resonant four-wave mixing spectra can serve as a useful probe of mode coupling.