Quantum non-equilibrium approach for fast electron transport in open systems: photosynthetic reaction centers

TL;DR

This paper develops a quantum non-equilibrium method to analyze fast electron transfer in open systems, specifically applied to photosynthetic reaction centers, highlighting the importance of initial conditions in early dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a second-order perturbation theory approach within the path integral formalism to account for initial condition effects in electron transfer dynamics.

Findings

Initial condition terms significantly influence early electron transfer dynamics.

The approach reveals the key role of initial conditions in photosynthetic reaction centers.

Method provides a new framework for studying non-equilibrium quantum processes.

Abstract

Creation of electron or exciton by external fields in a system with initially statistically independent unrelaxed vibrational modes leads to an initial condition term. The contribution of this term in the time convolution generalized master equation approach is studied in second order of the perturbation theory in the path integral formalism. The developed approach, applied for analysis of dynamics in the photosynthetic reaction center, exhibits the key role of the initial condition terms at the primary stage of electron transfer.