Abstract:

Quantum biology is an emerging field of research that concerns itself with the experimental and theoretical exploration of non-trivial quantum phenomena in biological systems (See references below for recent reviews on the subject). We will present an overview aimed to bring out fundamental assumptions and questions in the field, using light harvesting as a prototypical biological process. We will identify basic design principles and develop a key underlying theme -- the dynamics of quantum dynamical networks in the presence of an environment and the fruitful interplay that the two may enter.

A fundamental element in the discussion is the formulation of a microscopic model able to explain the observed persisting oscillatory features in the spectral response of different pigment-protein complexes at ambient temperatures. Along delocalized electronic excitations, we argue that quantum coherent interactions with near-resonant vibrations are instrumental for explaining long lived coherence and may contribute to light-harvesting performance.

Experimental results on both natural and artificial systems will be shown to be in agreement with this vibronic model which therefore provides an archetypical framework for the field.

S. F. Huelga and M.B. Plenio, Contemp. Phys. 54, 181 (2013) G. D. Scholes et al, Nature  543, 647 (2017)

E. Romero,    V.~I. Novoderezhkin and R. van Grondelle,  Nature 543, 355 (2017)

Coffee/tea and bread rolls from 10:05