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Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform
Published on: August 2, 2019
10.4K
Studying light-harvesting models with superconducting circuits
Anton Potočnik1, Arno Bargerbos2, Florian A Y N Schröder3
1Department of Physics, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland. anton.potocnik@phys.ethz.ch.
Nature Communications
|March 4, 2018
Summary
Researchers used superconducting quantum circuits to model photosynthesis, showing that environmental noise can enhance energy transfer in quantum systems. This technique offers new insights into natural light-harvesting processes.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Biology
- Photosynthesis Research
- Superconducting Circuits
Background:
- Photosynthesis converts sunlight to chemical energy with high efficiency.
- Quantum effects in molecular structures and environmental interactions are key.
- Studying these effects in biological systems is experimentally difficult.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel experimental technique for studying photosynthetic models.
- To investigate the role of quantum coherence and environmental noise in energy transfer.
- To complement existing research methods in photosynthesis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized superconducting quantum circuits to create a simplified three-site model.
- Employed a model of a pigment protein complex with realistic parameters.
- Scaled down energy parameters by a factor of 105 for experimental feasibility.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a high degree of design freedom and experimental control.
- Showed that environmental noise can enable excitation transport between disordered quantum-coherent sites.
- Found that structured noise, similar to phononic environments, maximizes efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Superconducting quantum circuits provide a viable platform for studying quantum phenomena in photosynthesis.
- Environmental noise plays a crucial role in optimizing energy transfer efficiency.
- The findings offer new perspectives on the quantum mechanisms underlying natural light harvesting.
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