 |
Center for Nonlinear Studies |
We present a theoretical analysis of the evolution of a dimer in contact with collective (correlated) and local (uncorrelated) thermal environments. Our analysis is mathematically rigorous, expressing the dimer dynamics in terms of quantum resonances. This spin-boson type model describes the excitation transfer and decoherence processes in a photosynthetic dimer interacting with protein-solvent environments. We derive explicit expressions for transfer- and decoherence rates, valid for arbitrary temperatures and arbitrary (in particular, large) interaction constants between the dimer and the environments. We establish a generalization of the Marcus formula for reaction rates, when the donor and acceptor are coupled to the environments with different, independent coupling strengths.The talk is based on a collaboration with G.P. Berman, R.T. Sayre, S. Gnanakaran et al.: Dynamics of a Chlorophyll Dimer in Collective and Local Thermal Environments, J. Math. Chem. 54(4), 866-917 (2016)
Host: Gennady Berman