Quantum coherence and decoherence in biological complexes

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Dr Martin Plenio (Imperial College, London)
• Monday 02 February 2009, 15:30-17:00
• Pippard Lecture Theatre, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact pjh65.

Motivated by recent experiments carrying out spectroscopy on parts of photosynthetic complexes we investigate the interplay between noise and quantum coherence in energy transport. Environmental noise is generally expected to hinder transport processes. We show that transport of excitations across dissipative quantum networks can be enhanced by noise. At the example of the FMO complex we explain the underlying physical mechanisms behind this phenomenon. These results point towards the possibility for designing optimized structures for transport, for example in artificial nano-structures, assisted by noise. On a more fundamental level I investigate how entanglement might be generated or enhanced in stationary and non-stationary equlibrium systems which suggests mechanisms by which entanglement may arise in biological complexes.

This talk is part of the AMOP list series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• AMOP list
• All Cavendish Laboratory Seminars
• All Talks (aka the CURE list)
• Centre for Health Leadership and Enterprise
• Featured lists
• ME Seminar
• Neurons, Fake News, DNA and your iPhone: The Mathematics of Information
• Pippard Lecture Theatre, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics
• School of Physical Sciences
• Thin Film Magnetic Talks

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.