An efficient biologically-inspired photocell enhanced by quantum coherence

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new photocell model inspired by photosynthesis that leverages quantum coherence effects to significantly improve light-to-charge conversion efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces a biologically-inspired nanoscale photocell design that explicitly utilizes quantum interference to enhance photovoltaic performance.

Findings

Quantum interference boosts light-to-current conversion.

Enhanced power generation across various parameters.

Potential for bio-inspired quantum photovoltaic devices.

Abstract

Artificially reproducing the biological light reactions responsible for the remarkably efficient photon-to-charge conversion in photosynthetic complexes represents a new direction for the future development of photovoltaic devices. Here, we develop such a paradigm and present a model photocell based on the nanoscale architecture of photosynthetic reaction centres that explicitly harnesses the quantum mechanical effects recently discovered in photosynthetic complexes. Quantum interference of photon absorption/emission induced by the dipole-dipole interaction between molecular excited states guarantees an enhanced light-to-current conversion and power generation for a wide range of realistic parameters, opening a promising new route for designing artificial light-harvesting devices inspired by biological photosynthesis and quantum technologies.