12,162 research outputs found
Coherence and Decoherence in Biological Systems: Principles of Noise Assisted Transport and the Origin of Long-lived Coherences
The quantum dynamics of transport networks in the presence of noisy
environments have recently received renewed attention with the discovery of
long-lived coherences in different photosynthetic complexes. This experimental
evidence has raised two fundamental questions: Firstly, what are the mechanisms
supporting long-lived coherences and secondly, how can we assess the possible
functional role that the interplay of noise and quantum coherence might play in
the seemingly optimal operation of biological systems under natural conditions?
Here we review recent results, illuminate them at the hand of two paradigmatic
systems, the Fenna-Matthew-Olson (FMO) complex and the light harvesting complex
LHII, and present new progress on both questions. In particular we introduce
the concept of the phonon antennae and discuss the possible microscopic origin
or long-lived electronic coherences.Comment: Paper delivered at the Royal Society Discussion Meeting
"Quantum-coherent energy transfer: implications for biology and new energy
technologies", 27 - 28 April 2011 at The Kavli Royal Society International
Centre, Buckinghamshire, UK. Accepted for publication in Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society
Isospin mode splitting and mixing in asymmetric nuclear matter
We estimate exclusive density and asymmetry parameter dependent dispersion
relations of various charged states of pions in asymmetric nuclear matter. The
possibility of matter induced mixing of with is clearly exposed
with the further mass modification of meson due to mixing. Asymmetry
driven mass splitting and mixing amplitude are of the same order as the
corresponding values in vacuum. Closed form analytic results for the mass
shifts and dispersion relations with and without mixing are presented.
Furthermore, we discuss the sensitivity of our results on the scalar mean field
within the framework of Quantum Hadrodynamics.Comment: 8 pages, 4 Figure
Lyapunov Spectra in SU(2) Lattice Gauge Theory
We develop a method for calculating the Lyapunov characteristic exponents of
lattice gauge theories. The complete Lyapunov spectrum of SU(2) gauge theory is
obtained and Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy is calculated. Rapid convergence with
lattice size is found.Comment: 7pp, DUKE-TH-93-5
Phase-dependent exciton transport and energy harvesting from thermal environments
Non-Markovian effects in the evolution of open quantum systems have recently
attracted widespread interest, particularly in the context of assessing the
efficiency of energy and charge transfer in nanoscale biomolecular networks and
quantum technologies. With the aid of many-body simulation methods, we uncover
and analyse an ultrafast environmental process that causes energy relaxation in
the reduced system to depend explicitly on the phase relation of the initial
state preparation. Remarkably, for particular phases and system parameters, the
net energy flow is uphill, transiently violating the principle of detailed
balance, and implying that energy is spontaneously taken up from the
environment. A theoretical analysis reveals that non-secular contributions,
significant only within the environmental correlation time, underlie this
effect. This suggests that environmental energy harvesting will be observable
across a wide range of coupled quantum systems.Comment: 5 + 4 pages, 3 + 2 figures. Comments welcom
Magneto-optical Feshbach resonance: Controlling cold collision with quantum interference
We propose a method of controlling two-atom interaction using both magnetic
and laser fields. We analyse the role of quantum interference between magnetic
and optical Feshbach resonances in controlling cold collision. In particular,
we demonstrate that this method allows us to suppress inelastic and enhance
elastic scattering cross sections. Quantum interference is shown to modify
significantly the threshold behaviour and resonant interaction of ultracold
atoms. Furthermore, we show that it is possible to manipulate not only the
spherically symmetric s-wave interaction but also the anisotropic higher
partial-wave interactions which are particularly important for high temperature
superfluid or superconducting phases of matter.Comment: 7 pages 3 figures, some minor errors are corrected, Accepted in J.
Phys.
The nature of the low energy band of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex: vibronic signatures
Based entirely upon actual experimental observations on electron-phonon
coupling, we develop a theoretical framework to show that the lowest energy
band of the Fenna- Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex exhibits observable features
due to the quantum nature of the vibrational manifolds present in its
chromophores. The study of linear spectra provides us with the basis to
understand the dynamical features arising from the vibronic structure in
non-linear spectra in a progressive fashion, starting from a microscopic model
to finally performing an inhomogenous average. We show that the discreteness of
the vibronic structure can be witnessed by probing the diagonal peaks of the
non-linear spectra by means of a relative phase shift in the waiting time
resolved signal. Moreover, we demonstrate the photon-echo and non-rephasing
paths are sensitive to different harmonics in the vibrational manifold when
static disorder is taken into account. Supported by analytical and numerical
calculations, we show that nondiagonal resonances in the 2D spectra in the
waiting time, further capture the discreteness of vibrations through a
modulation of the amplitude without any effect in the signal intrinsic
frequency. This fact generates a signal that is highly sensitive to
correlations in the static disorder of the excitonic energy albeit protected
against dephasing due to inhomogeneities of the vibrational ensemble.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure
The Gamow-Teller States in Relativistic Nuclear Models
The Gamow-Teller(GT) states are investigated in relativistic models. The
Landau-Migdal(LM) parameter is introduced in the Lagrangian as a contact term
with the pseudo-vector coupling. In the relativistic model the total GT
strength in the nucleon space is quenched by about 12% in nuclear matter and by
about 6% in finite nuclei, compared with the one of the Ikeda-Fujii-Fujita sum
rule. The quenched amount is taken by nucleon-antinucleon excitations in the
time-like region. Because of the quenching, the relativistic model requires a
larger value of the LM parameter than non-relativistic models in describing the
excitation energy of the GT state. The Pauli blocking terms are not important
for the description of the GT states.Comment: REVTeX4, no figure
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