  We consider several fundamental optical phenomena involving single molecules
in biased metal-molecule-metal junctions. The molecule is represented by its
highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, and the analysis
involves the simultaneous consideration of three coupled fluxes: the electronic
current through the molecule, energy flow between the molecule and
electron-hole excitations in the leads and the incident and/or emitted photon
flux. Using a unified theoretical approach based on the non-equilibrium Green
function method we derive expressions for the absorption lineshape (not an
observable but a ueful reference for considering yields of other optical
processes) and for the current induced molecular emission in such junctions. We
also consider conditions under which resonance radiation can induce electronic
current in an unbiased junction. We find that current driven molecular emission
and resonant light induced electronic currents in single molecule junctions can
be of observable magnitude under appropriate realizable conditions. In
particular, light induced current should be observed in junctions involving
molecular bridges that are characterized by strong charge transfer optical
transitions. For observing current induced molecular emission we find that in
addition to the familiar need to control the damping of molecular excitations
into the metal substrate the phenomenon is also sensitive to the way in which
the potential bias si distributed on the junction.
