Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-8-2010
Abstract
Mounting experimental and theoretical evidence suggest that coherent quantum effects play a role in the efficient transfer of an excitation from a chlorosome antenna to a reaction centre in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson protein complex. However, it is conceivable that a satisfying alternate interpretation of the results is possible in terms of a classical theory. To address this possibility, we consider a class of classical theories satisfying the minimal postulates of macrorealism and frame Leggett-Garg-type tests that could rule them out. Our numerical simulations indicate that even in the presence of decoherence, several tests could exhibit the required violations of the Leggett-Garg inequality. Remarkably, some violations persist even at room temperature for our decoherence model. This journal is © 2009 The Royal Society.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
First Page
1347
Last Page
1363
Recommended Citation
Wilde, M., Mccracken, J., & Mizel, A. (2010). Could light harvesting complexes exhibit non-classical effects at room temperature?. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 466 (2117), 1347-1363. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2009.0575