Mainz 2017 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 34: Quantum Effects: Entanglement and Decoherence
Q 34.8: Talk
Wednesday, March 8, 2017, 16:30–16:45, P 4
Extensions of a quantum transport model of the FMO photosynthetic complex — •Hlér Kristjánsson1,2, Jonathan Brugger1, Gabriel Dufour1, Christian Scheppach1, and Andreas Buchleitner1 — 1Physikalisches Institut, Alberts-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg i. Br., Germany — 2Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
The potential role of non-trivial quantum coherence effects in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) photosynthetic complex has been the subject of various experiments as well as theoretical quantum transport models since the discovery of remarkably long-lived coherences in the complex ten years ago. The FMO complex connects the photon-capturing antenna to the reaction centre in green sulphur bacteria by acting as a wire for energy transport. It can be modelled as a disordered system with a few sites, each described by a two-level system.
In this talk we consider the model for quantum transport in disordered systems proposed by Walschaers et al. [1], based on centrosymmetry of the Hamiltonian and a dominant doublet coupling between the input and output sites. We then discuss three extensions to this model to create a more realistic description of energy transport in the FMO complex: (i) variable energy levels for different sites, (ii) coupling to vibrational modes of the system, and (iii) including the coupling of the wire to both the antenna and the reaction centre.
[1] M. Walschaers, R. Mulet, T. Wellens, and A. Buchleitner, Phys. Rev. E 91, 042137 (2015)