Step 1: Photoexcitation of chlorophyll.
When chlorophyll-a absorbs light energy, its electrons get excited to a higher energy level.
Step 2: Return to ground state.
If the excited electron does not participate in photochemical reactions, it quickly returns to the ground state.
Step 3: Time duration.
The excited electron returns to the ground state within $10^{-9$ seconds}, releasing excess energy as heat or fluorescence.