Using coherence to enhance function in chemical and biophysical systems

Coherence phenomena arise from interference, or the addition, of wave-like amplitudes with fixed phase differences. Although coherence has been shown to yield transformative ways for improving function, advances have been confined to pristine matter and coherence was considered fragile. However, rec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 2017-03, Vol.543 (7647), p.647-656
Main Authors: Scholes, Gregory D, Fleming, Graham R, Chen, Lin X, Aspuru-Guzik, Alán, Buchleitner, Andreas, Coker, David F, Engel, Gregory S, van Grondelle, Rienk, Ishizaki, Akihito, Jonas, David M, Lundeen, Jeff S, McCusker, James K, Mukamel, Shaul, Ogilvie, Jennifer P, Olaya-Castro, Alexandra, Ratner, Mark A, Spano, Frank C, Whaley, K Birgitta, Zhu, Xiaoyang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological systems
Biophysics
Chemical bonds
Chemical systems
Coherent states
Electrons
Energy Transfer
Hydrocarbons
Light
Metals - chemistry
Models, Biological
Models, Chemical
Models, Molecular
Motion
Physics research
Quantum Theory
Saturn
Scattering (Physics)
Spectrum Analysis
Time Factors
Vibration
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Summary:Coherence phenomena arise from interference, or the addition, of wave-like amplitudes with fixed phase differences. Although coherence has been shown to yield transformative ways for improving function, advances have been confined to pristine matter and coherence was considered fragile. However, recent evidence of coherence in chemical and biological systems suggests that the phenomena are robust and can survive in the face of disorder and noise. Here we survey the state of recent discoveries, present viewpoints that suggest that coherence can be used in complex chemical systems, and discuss the role of coherence as a design element in realizing function.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/nature21425