Signature of Quantum Coherence in the Exciton Energy Pathways of the LH2 Photosynthetic Complex

Abstract

Unraveling the energy transfer pathways in photosynthetic complexes is an important step toward understanding their structure-function interplay. Here, we use an open quantum systems approach to investigate energy transfer within the LH2 photosynthetic apparatus and its dependence on environmental conditions. We find that energy transfer pathways strongly depend on the environment-induced dephasing time. A comparison between the computational results and experiments performed on similar systems demonstrates that quantum coherences are present in these systems under physiological conditions and have an important role in shaping the energy transfer pathways. Moreover, our calculations indicate that relatively simple spectroscopy experiments can be used to detect traces of quantum coherence. Finally, our results suggest that quantum coherence may play a role in photosynthesis, but not in enhancing the efficiency as was previously suggested.