International Workshop on ''Atomic Physics''
mpipks

November 24 - 28, 2008

Focus on
"Quantum dynamics of atoms and molecules
in complex environments"


Enhanced quantum entanglement in the non-Markovian dynamics of biomolecular excitons

Michael Thorwart
Universität Freiburg
It is shown that quantum coherence of biomolecular excitons can be maintained over exceedingly long times due to the constructive role of their non-Markovian protein-solvent environment. Using a numerically exact real-time path integral approach, we provide evidence that a slow quantum bath helps to sustain quantum entanglement of two pairs of Forster coupled excitons, in contrast to a Markovian environment. We consider the full crossover from a fast to a slow non-Markovian bath and from weak to strong system-bath coupling and show that a slow bath can generate robust entanglement. This entanglement persists to surprisingly high temperatures, even higher than the excitonic gap. Such a fully quantum mechanical feature is not found for a Markovian bath.