Recent evidence suggests that quantum effects may have functional importance in biological light-harvesting systems. Along with delocalized electronic excitations, it is now suspected that quantum coherent interactions with certain near-resonant vibrations may contribute to light-harvesting performance. However, the actual quantum advantage offered by such coherent vibrational interactions has not yet been established. We investigate a quantum design principle, whereby coherent exchange of single energy quanta between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom can enhance a light-harvesting system’s power above what is possible by thermal mechanisms alone. We present a prototype quantum heat engine which cleanly illustrates this quantum design principle and quantifies its quantum advantage using thermodynamic measures of performance. We also demonstrate the principle’s relevance in parameter regimes connected to natural light-harvesting structures.
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21 October 2015
Research Article|
October 20 2015
Enhancing light-harvesting power with coherent vibrational interactions: A quantum heat engine picture
N. Killoran;
N. Killoran
Institut für Theoretische Physik,
Universität Ulm
, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
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S. F. Huelga;
S. F. Huelga
Institut für Theoretische Physik,
Universität Ulm
, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
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M. B. Plenio
M. B. Plenio
Institut für Theoretische Physik,
Universität Ulm
, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
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J. Chem. Phys. 143, 155102 (2015)
Article history
Received:
April 14 2015
Accepted:
September 22 2015
Citation
N. Killoran, S. F. Huelga, M. B. Plenio; Enhancing light-harvesting power with coherent vibrational interactions: A quantum heat engine picture. J. Chem. Phys. 21 October 2015; 143 (15): 155102. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4932307
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