Abstract
Quantum states which retain their coherence for sufficiently long to potentially affect biological processes are currently topical, for example in photosynthesis. It is argued here that, when addressing these issues theoretically, the usual focus on decoherence times may be inappropriate if the system retains non-zero residual coherence in the long term. It is suggested that this could be the generic behaviour for systems whose relevant internal coupling strength (e.g., the Forster coupling) is large compared with the strength of the interaction with the environment. This is illustrated for the case of a dipole dimer interacting with an environment of dipoles. Whilst not intended to be a model of any particular biological system, the illustrative parameters are intended to bear a crude resemblance to photosynthetic units at 300 K. The persistence of non-zero coherence is therefore potentially significant.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call