Two-photon fluorescence spectroscopy of individually trapped pseudoisocyanine J-aggregates in aqueous solution.

We have investigated a pseudoisocyanine dye aqueous solution including nanometer-sized J-aggregates by combining optical trapping and two-photon fluorescence spectroscopy. By focusing an intense near-infrared laser into an 8 x 10(-3) M solution, the intense fluorescence from J-aggregates for a few to tens of seconds is observed intermittently, indicating that individual J-aggregates are trapped in and diffuse out from a focal spot. The peak position and full width at half-maximum of the J-band are different from each other. By measuring 171 J-aggregates, it was found that J-aggregates can be classified largely into two groups. The existence of two kinds of groups of J-aggregates could be attributed to the difference in the nucleation process, which is affected by the substrate. J-aggregates possessing a J-band of a narrower bandwidth in a shorter wavelength region are trapped for a longer period of time, indicating that highly ordered J-aggregates are trapped for a longer period of time because of their high polarizability.