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Cited by 230Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical StudiesPhotochemistry and Electron Transfer StudiesStrong Light-Matter Interactions

Non-classicality of the molecular vibrations assisting exciton energy transfer at room temperature

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O’Reilly, Edward J., Olaya-Castro, Alexandra·2014·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/ncomms4012PMC PMC3896760
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Abstract

Advancing the debate on quantum effects in light-initiated reactions in biology requires clear identification of non-classical features that these processes can exhibit and utilize. Here we show that in prototype dimers present in a variety of photosynthetic antennae, efficient vibration-assisted energy transfer in the sub-picosecond timescale and at room temperature can manifest and benefit from non-classical fluctuations of collective pigment motions. Non-classicality of initially thermalized vibrations is induced via coherent exciton–vibration interactions and is unambiguously indicated by negativities in the phase–space quasi-probability distribution of the effective collective mode coupled to the electronic dynamics. These quantum effects can be prompted upon incoherent input of excitation. Our results therefore suggest that investigation of the non-classical properties of vibrational motions assisting excitation and charge transport, photoreception and chemical sensing processes could be a touchstone for revealing a role for non-trivial quantum phenomena in biology.

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  • Experimental and theoretical evidence shows that single vibrational modes in a statically disordered landscape very likely assist transport in both light harvesting and charge separation in photosynthetic organisms, with the pigment excitonic transitions tuned by the protein scaffold to match the energy of the vibrational mode assisting the resonant transfer.

    “Hence, experimental and theoretical evidence shows that single vibrational modes in a statically disordered landscape very likely assist transport in both light harvesting and charge separation in photosynthetic organisms, with the pigment excitonic transitions tuned by the protein scaffold to match the energy of the vibrational mode assisting the resonant transfer [52,56].”

    From The future of quantum biology (2018) · cites this paper as [52]

  • Investigation of the non-classical properties of vibrational motions assisting excitation and charge transport, photoreception and chemical sensing processes could be a touchstone for revealing a role for non-trivial quantum phenomena in biology.

    “These results suggest that investigation of the non-classical properties of vibrational motions assisting excitation and charge transport, photoreception and chemical sensing processes could be a touchstone for revealing a role for non-trivial quantum phenomena in biology [52,67].”

    From The future of quantum biology (2018) · cites this paper as [52]

  • More recent work has shown unambiguously that the non-classical properties of environmental vibrational motions may assist excitation energy transfer in photosynthetic LHCs on the sub-picosecond time scale and at room temperature.

    “However, more recent work [52] has shown unambiguously that the non-classical properties of environmental vibrational motions may assist excitation energy transfer in photosynthetic LHCs on the sub-picosecond time scale and at room temperature.”

    From The future of quantum biology (2018) · cites this paper as [52]

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Authors
O’Reilly, E. J., & Olaya-Castro, A.
Affiliations
University College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Olaya-Castro, Alexandra
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2014-01-09
Volume
5
Issue
1
Pages
3012-3012
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/ncomms4012
PMC
PMC3896760
OpenAlex
W2016004552
Cited by
230
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 13
FWCI
16.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (cc-by)
Funders
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (323901, EP/G005222/1)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Physical and Theoretical Chemistry › Photochemistry and Electron Transfer Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Strong Light-Matter Interactions
Keywords
nonclassicality, vibrational modes, exciton transfer, room temperature, photosynthetic antenna complexes, exciton-vibration coupling, quantum biology, dimers
MeSH terms
Electrons, Energy Transfer, Light, Photosynthesis, Quantum Theory, Temperature, Vibration

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