Speaker
Description
In 2008, the unexpected observation of coherent excitonic dynamics in photosynthetic proteins kick-started a vibrant interdisciplinary effort to explore the possible roles and advantages of non-classical effects in biological processes. Today, claims that Nature actually exploits quantum mechanics in vivo remain highly controversial, but a key outcome of 'Quantum Biology' has been to expose the exquisite nano engineering of light-harvesting proteins to powerful theoretical and computational tools from across condensed matter, quantum information and chemical sciences. From these techniques, a deep, microscopic understanding has arisen of how (open) quantum dynamics can drive sophisticated optoelectronic functionalities in protein structures, inspiring light-harvesting concepts that could be realized in artificial nanotechnologies. In this talk I will present an overview of our work on biological light-harvesting, covering the highly tuned electronic structure of pigment-protein complexes, the critical role of structural vibrations in ultrafast energy transport, and how these could be leveraged for quantum-enhanced energy harvesting in man-made systems. Time permitting, I will also present some of the 'bio-inspired' devices in which these ideas have actually been tested, including organic photovoltaics, DNA origami and, even, superconducting qubit circuits.