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Nonequilibrium Quantum Dynamics of Biomolecular Excitons

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Nonlinear Phenomena in Complex Systems: From Nano to Macro Scale

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Abstract

We investigate the effect of equilibrium and nonequilibrium localized vibrations on the excitation energy transfer efficiency of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex. By means of numerically exact real-time path-integral simulations of the transfer dynamics we find that equilibrium vibrations do not enhance coherence times. On the other hand, nonequilibrium vibrations induce prolonged coherence times and increased transfer efficiency. By quantifying the transfer dynamics in terms of a non-Markovianity measure based on the time evolution of the trace distance of two quantum states we find, in all cases, a monotonic decrease of the trace distance with increasing time which implies that the exciton transfer follows a Markovian dynamics.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge financial support by the DFG Sonderforschungsbereich 925 “Light-induced dynamics and control of correlated quantum systems” and by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. I. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Hamburg, Jungiusstr. 9, 20355, Hamburg, Germany

    Cesar A. Mujica-Martinez, Peter Nalbach & Michael Thorwart

Authors
  1. Cesar A. Mujica-Martinez
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  2. Peter Nalbach
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  3. Michael Thorwart
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Thorwart .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    Davron Matrasulov

  2. Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    H. Eugene Stanley

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Mujica-Martinez, C.A., Nalbach, P., Thorwart, M. (2014). Nonequilibrium Quantum Dynamics of Biomolecular Excitons. In: Matrasulov, D., Stanley, H. (eds) Nonlinear Phenomena in Complex Systems: From Nano to Macro Scale. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8704-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8704-8_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-017-8703-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-8704-8

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