Glasses and proteins: Similarities and differences in their spectral diffusion dynamics

Abstract

We compare the spectral diffusion dynamics of resorufin doped glycerol/H2O- and glycerol/D2O-glass with the respective dynamics of a chromoprotein in the same glass at 4.2 K. Spectral diffusion broadening of photochemical holes is measured over almost four orders of magnitude in time. In all samples there are strong aging phenomena. Resorufin in deuterated water/glycerol is reasonably well-described by the two level system (TLS) model. In the protonated glass, the TLS model does not seem to describe the experiments reasonably well. In the protein sample it totally fails.