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arXiv · 0911.1097

Could light harvesting complexes exhibit non-classical effects at room temperature?

Mark M. Wilde·James M. McCracken·Ari Mizel
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Abstract

Mounting experimental and theoretical evidence suggests that coherent quantum effects play a role in the efficient transfer of an excitation from a chlorosome antenna to a reaction center in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson protein complex. However, it is conceivable that a satisfying alternate interpretation of the results is possible in terms of a classical theory. To address this possibility, we consider a class of classical theories satisfying the minimal postulates of macrorealism and frame Leggett-Garg-type tests that could rule them out. Our numerical simulations indicate that even in the presence of decoherence, several tests could exhibit the required violations of the Leggett-Garg inequality. Remarkably, some violations persist even at room temperature for our decoherence model.

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Mark M. Wilde, James M. McCracken, Ari Mizel. 2009-11-05. Could light harvesting complexes exhibit non-classical effects at room temperature?. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2009.0575

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