Quantum Correlation and Synchronisation-Enhanced Energy Transfer in Driven-Dissipative Light-Harvesting Dimers

TL;DR

This paper investigates how quantum correlations and environment-assisted mechanisms enhance energy transfer in light-harvesting dimers, revealing the role of quantum synchronisation in driven-dissipative biological systems.

Contribution

It demonstrates the importance of quantum correlations and introduces an environment-assisted transfer mechanism that sustains coherence and synchronisation in photosynthetic models.

Findings

Quantum correlations underpin synchronisation in energy transfer.

Environment-assisted transfer enables long-lived quantum coherence.

Synchronisation enhances energy transfer efficiency.

Abstract

Quantum synchronisation has recently been proposed as a mechanism for electronic excitation energy transfer in light-harvesting complexes, yet its robustness in driven-dissipative settings remains under active investigation. Here, we revisit this mechanism in cryptophyte photosynthetic antennae using an exciton--vibrational dimer model. By comparing the full open quantum dynamics with semi-classical rate equations for electronic density-matrix elements and vibrational observables, we demonstrate that quantum correlations between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom, beyond the semi-classical factorised limit, underpin the emergence of quantum synchronisation. Furthermore, we introduce an environment-assisted transfer mechanism arising as a nonlinear, non-Condon correction to the dipole--dipole interaction. This mechanism enables long-lived quantum coherence and continuous, synchronisation-enhanced energy transfer in a driven-dissipative regime, thereby suggesting new avenues for investigating photosynthetic energy-transfer dynamics.