Dephasing assisted transport: Quantum networks and biomolecules

Dephasing assisted transport: Quantum networks and biomolecules

July 30, 2008 | M. B. Plenio and S. F. Huelga
The paper explores the phenomenon of dephasing-assisted transport in dissipative quantum networks and biomolecules. Despite the generally negative impact of environmental noise on transport processes, the authors show that local dephasing noise can enhance the transport of excitations across such networks, even at zero temperature. They explain the underlying physical mechanisms, argue that entanglement does not play a supportive role, and propose experimental demonstrations in quantum optics. The authors also suggest that nature may exploit this effect to optimize the performance of biological systems, such as light-harvesting molecules, by using noise-assisted processes. The study highlights the potential for designing optimized structures for transport in artificial nano-structures and quantum information processors. The results are supported by numerical simulations and theoretical analyses, including exact solutions for uniform chains and a microscopic model of an environment with non-Markovian behavior.The paper explores the phenomenon of dephasing-assisted transport in dissipative quantum networks and biomolecules. Despite the generally negative impact of environmental noise on transport processes, the authors show that local dephasing noise can enhance the transport of excitations across such networks, even at zero temperature. They explain the underlying physical mechanisms, argue that entanglement does not play a supportive role, and propose experimental demonstrations in quantum optics. The authors also suggest that nature may exploit this effect to optimize the performance of biological systems, such as light-harvesting molecules, by using noise-assisted processes. The study highlights the potential for designing optimized structures for transport in artificial nano-structures and quantum information processors. The results are supported by numerical simulations and theoretical analyses, including exact solutions for uniform chains and a microscopic model of an environment with non-Markovian behavior.
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