Quantum Photosynthesis

Stephan Hoyer, K. Birgitta Whaley

J. C. García, Souhir Gliouez, F. Guerrero-Poblete +1 more

We characterize the stationary states of an excitation energy transfer model in quantum many-particle systems [Y. Aref’eva, I. Volovich and S. Kozyrev, Stochastic limit method and interference in quantum many-particles systems, Theor. Math. Phys. 183(3) (2015) 782–799] as well as the stationary states of a quantum photosynthesis model [S. Kozyrev and I. Volovich, Dark states in quantum photosynthesis, arXiv:1603.07182v1 [physics.bio-ph]] in terms of a transport operator. It turns out that, apart from the ground state, all invariant states of the excitation energy transport model are entangled. For the photosynthesis model, any invariant state in the commutant of the system Hamiltonian is a mixed bright–dark state in the sense of [S. Kozyrev and I. Volovich, Dark states in quantum photosynthesis, arXiv:1603.07182v1 [physics.bio-ph]] and it is pure dark if and only if the bright vector belongs to the kernel of this state.

Cherif Farid Matta

Sergei Vladimirovich Kozyrev, Alexander Nikolaevich Pechen

A model of charge separation in quantum photosynthesis as a model of quantum feedback control in a system of interacting excitons and vibrons is introduced. In this approach quantum feedback induces a nonlinear evolution equation which describes the Landau-Zener transition with decoherence and can be considered a quantum ratchet. It explains both the irreversibility in the process of charge separation for quantum photosynthesis (for this model direct transitions have probabilities close to 1, and reverse transitions have probabilities close to zero) and coincidence of the energy of the vibron paired to the transition and the Bohr frequency of the transition.

John Peter Simons

Fatima Moizuddin

In the emerging field of quantum biology, we begin to see how biological systems exploit quantum mechanics as their efficiency and certain phenomena such as photosynthesis and enzymatic reactions cannot be explained only by classical physics. This paper will shortly review the foundations and axioms of quantum mechanics including wave particle duality, Heisenburg's uncertainty principle and the probabilistic interpretation of a wave function before exploring the first primary topic-quantum tunneling in enzymes. The paper will then provide deeper insights into quantum effects in photosynthesis including coherence, entanglement and the photoelectric effect. Additionally, quantum biology will have profound implications on the future of quantum technology. Leveraging the information scientists have gained about the quantum mechanical functions of biological systems, this paper will delve into the applications of this know-how in quantum technology.