Quantum coherence spectroscopy reveals complex dynamics in bacterial light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2).

ABSTRACT: Light-harvesting antenna complexes transfer energy from sunlight to photosynthetic reaction centers where charge separation drives cellular metabolism. The process through which pigments transfer excitation energy involves a complex choreography of coherent and incoherent processes mediated by the surrounding protein and solvent environment. The recent discovery of coherent dynamics in photosynthetic light-harvesting antennae has motivated many theoretical models exploring effects of interference in energy transfer phenomena. In this work, we provide experimental evidence of long-lived quantum coherence between the spectrally separated B800 and B850 rings of the light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) of purple bacteria. Spectrally resolved maps of the detuning, dephasing, and the amplitude of el

SUBMITTER: Harel E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3271880 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature