Apparent vibrational side-bands in pi-conjugated systems: the case of distyrylbenzene

The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of dilute solution and single crystals of distyrylbenzene show unique temperature dependent vibronic structures. The characteristic single frequency progression at high temperatures is modulated by a low frequency progression series at low temperatures. None of the series side band modes corresponds to any of the distyrylbenzene Raman frequencies. We explain these PL properties using a time dependent model with temperature dependent damping, in which the many-mode system is effectively transformed to two- and then to a single "apparent" mode as damping increases.