Birgitta Whaley Abstract

"Quantum Coherent Effects in Photosynthesis"

The initial, light-harvesting step of photosynthesis is known to be exceptionally efficient, transporting absorbed light energy as electronic excitation to the reaction center with near unity efficiency within a few picoseconds. Experiments have revealed that this process shows surprisingly long-lived electronic coherences, prompting speculation that light-harvesting complexes might be robust, evolved quantum processors that operate effectively in a highly decohering environment. I shall present theoretical studies (1,2) of the quantum dynamics of a prototypical photosyntehtic light harvesting complex, the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex, that address the nature and exten of two characteristic features of quantum processors, namely quantum speedup and quantum entanglement, in these biological systems.

(1) Mohan, Sarovar, Akihito Ishizaki, Graham R. Fleming, K. Birgitta Whaley, "Quantum entanglement in photosyntehic light harvesting complexes.", quant-ph /. 0905.3787.

(2) S. Hoyer, M. Sarovar, and K. B. Whaley, "Limits of quantum speedup in photosynthetic light harvesting", quant-ph / 0910.1847.