Förster Competing-Acceptor Transfer
Combine competing sixth-power transfer rates and distinguish efficiency from donor lifetime.
Free theory articleCombine competing sixth-power transfer rates and distinguish efficiency from donor lifetime.
Concept & interpretation
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) involves non-radiative energy transfer from a donor to an acceptor via dipole-dipole coupling. When multiple acceptors are present, their transfer rates compete and add independently, affecting the overall transfer efficiency and donor lifetime.
Exploring multiple acceptors
Use the Förster Competing-Acceptor Transfer module to see how competing pathways shift branching ratios.
- Select Acceptors = 2, Distance one = 1, Distance two = 2, and Donor lifetime = 1. The efficiency will match the 50.4% calculated in the worked example.
- Change Acceptors to 1. Notice the single acceptor takes over completely, resulting in exactly 50% transfer efficiency and no probability directed to the missing second acceptor.
- With 2 Acceptors, reduce Distance one to 0.5. Since the transfer rate scales as the inverse sixth power of distance, the first acceptor now dominates almost completely (efficiency > 98%). The relative donor lifetime drops sharply to around 0.015.
- Change Acceptors to 0. The donor's intrinsic decay path represents 100% of the decay probability, leaving total transfer efficiency at 0 and keeping the relative donor lifetime at 1.0.