@article{TEXTUAL,
      recid = {14550},
      author = {Schouten, Anna O. and Mazziotti, David A.},
      title = {Exciton-Condensate-Like Energy Transport in  Light-Harvesting Complex 2},
      journal = {PRX Energy},
      address = {2025-02-13},
      number = {TEXTUAL},
      abstract = {Bose-Einstein condensation of excitons, with its potential  for frictionless energy transport, has recently been  observed in materials at low temperatures. Here, we show  that partial exciton condensation plays a significant role  in the 18-chromophore B850 ring of the light-harvesting  complex 2 (LH2) in purple bacteria. Even in the  single-excitation regime, we observe that excitonic  entanglement across multiple sites exhibits signatures of  exciton condensation in the particle-hole reduced density  matrix—a partial exciton condensate. Crucially, we find  that, by distributing the exciton across multiple sites of  the ring, the exciton-condensate-like state sets favorable  conditions for enhanced energy transfer, both before and  after decoherence. Surprisingly, this discovery reveals  that excitonic condensation, previously thought to require  extreme conditions, can occur in a partial form in  biological systems under ambient conditions, providing new  insight into energy transport. These results additionally  bring new insight into the long-standing debate on quantum  versus classical mechanisms in photosynthetic light  harvesting by showing that quantum coherence, in the form  of a partial exciton condensate, indirectly initializes  subsequent classical transfer. Our findings not only deepen  our understanding of quantum coherence in light harvesting  but also suggest design principles for materials capable of  leveraging excitonic entanglement for efficient energy  transport.},
      url = {http://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/14550},
}