Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 108, Issue 52, Pages 20908-20912Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1105234108
Keywords
energy transport; photosynthesis; quantum biology; ultrafast phenomena
Categories
Funding
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research [FA9550-09-1-0117]
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [N66001-10-1-4060, N66001-10-1-4022, BAA-10-40 QUBE]
- Searle Foundation
- National Science Foundation [CHE-1058791]
- Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, US Department of Energy
- Division Of Chemistry
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [1058791] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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The photosynthetic light-harvesting apparatus moves energy from absorbed photons to the reaction center with remarkable quantum efficiency. Recently, long-lived quantum coherence has been proposed to influence efficiency and robustness of photosynthetic energy transfer in light-harvesting antennae. The quantum aspect of these dynamics has generated great interest both because of the possibility for efficient long-range energy transfer and because biology is typically considered to operate entirely in the classical regime. Yet, experiments to date show only that coherence persists long enough that it can influence dynamics, but they have not directly shown that coherence does influence energy transfer. Here, we provide experimental evidence that interaction between the bacteriochlorophyll chromophores and the protein environment surrounding them not only prolongs quantum coherence, but also spawns reversible, oscillatory energy transfer among excited states. Using two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy, we observe oscillatory excited-state populations demonstrating that quantum transport of energy occurs in biological systems. The observed population oscillation suggests that these light-harvesting antennae trade energy reversibly between the protein and the chromophores. Resolving design principles evident in this biological antenna could provide inspiration for new solar energy applications.
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