Topologically protected excitons in porphyrin thin films

Abstract

The control of exciton transport in organic materials is of fundamental importance for the development of efficient light-harvesting systems. This transport is easily deteriorated by traps in the disordered energy landscape. Here, we propose and analyze a system that supports topological Frenkel exciton edge states. Backscattering of these chiral Frenkel excitons is prohibited by symmetry, ensuring that the transport properties of such a system are robust against disorder. To implement our idea, we propose a two-dimensional periodic array of tilted porphyrins interacting with a homogenous magnetic field. This field serves to break time-reversal symmetry and results in lattice fluxes that that mimic the Aharonov-Bohm phase acquired by electrons. Our proposal is the first blueprint for realizing topological phases of matter in molecular aggregates and suggests a paradigm for engineering novel excitonic materials.