Polaron effects on the performance of light-harvesting systems : a quantum heat engine perspective

We explore energy transfer in a generic three-level system, which is coupled to three non-equilibrium baths. Built on the concept of quantum heat engine, our three-level model describes non-equilibrium quantum processes including light-harvesting energy transfer, nano-scale heat transfer, photo-indu...

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Main Authors: Xu, Dazhi, Wang, Chen, Zhao, Yang, Cao, Jianshu
Other Authors: School of Materials Science & Engineering
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2018
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Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/90022
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/46488
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-900222023-07-14T15:52:36Z Polaron effects on the performance of light-harvesting systems : a quantum heat engine perspective Xu, Dazhi Wang, Chen Zhao, Yang Cao, Jianshu School of Materials Science & Engineering Singapore-MIT Alliance Programme DRNTU::Engineering::Materials Quantum Open System Heat Engine We explore energy transfer in a generic three-level system, which is coupled to three non-equilibrium baths. Built on the concept of quantum heat engine, our three-level model describes non-equilibrium quantum processes including light-harvesting energy transfer, nano-scale heat transfer, photo-induced isomerization, and photovoltaics in double quantum-dots. In the context of light-harvesting, the excitation energy is first pumped up by sunlight, then is transferred via two excited states which are coupled to a phonon bath, and finally decays to the reaction center. The efficiency of this process is evaluated by steady state analysis via a polaron-transformed master equation; thus the entire range of the system-phonon coupling strength can be covered. We show that the coupling with the phonon bath not only modifies the steady state, resulting in population inversion, but also introduces a finite steady state coherence which optimizes the energy transfer flux and efficiency. In the strong coupling limit, the steady state coherence disappears and the efficiency recovers the heat engine limit given by Scovil and Schultz-Dubois (1959 Phys. Rev. Lett. 2 262). NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore) Published version 2018-10-31T08:51:17Z 2019-12-06T17:38:56Z 2018-10-31T08:51:17Z 2019-12-06T17:38:56Z 2016 Journal Article Xu, D., Wang, C., Zhao, Y., & Cao, J. (2016). Polaron effects on the performance of light-harvesting systems : a quantum heat engine perspective. New Journal of Physics, 18(2), 023003-. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/18/2/023003 1367-2630 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/90022 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/46488 10.1088/1367-2630/18/2/023003 en New Journal of Physics © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. 14 p. application/pdf
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic DRNTU::Engineering::Materials
Quantum Open System
Heat Engine
spellingShingle DRNTU::Engineering::Materials
Quantum Open System
Heat Engine
Xu, Dazhi
Wang, Chen
Zhao, Yang
Cao, Jianshu
Polaron effects on the performance of light-harvesting systems : a quantum heat engine perspective
description We explore energy transfer in a generic three-level system, which is coupled to three non-equilibrium baths. Built on the concept of quantum heat engine, our three-level model describes non-equilibrium quantum processes including light-harvesting energy transfer, nano-scale heat transfer, photo-induced isomerization, and photovoltaics in double quantum-dots. In the context of light-harvesting, the excitation energy is first pumped up by sunlight, then is transferred via two excited states which are coupled to a phonon bath, and finally decays to the reaction center. The efficiency of this process is evaluated by steady state analysis via a polaron-transformed master equation; thus the entire range of the system-phonon coupling strength can be covered. We show that the coupling with the phonon bath not only modifies the steady state, resulting in population inversion, but also introduces a finite steady state coherence which optimizes the energy transfer flux and efficiency. In the strong coupling limit, the steady state coherence disappears and the efficiency recovers the heat engine limit given by Scovil and Schultz-Dubois (1959 Phys. Rev. Lett. 2 262).
author2 School of Materials Science & Engineering
author_facet School of Materials Science & Engineering
Xu, Dazhi
Wang, Chen
Zhao, Yang
Cao, Jianshu
format Article
author Xu, Dazhi
Wang, Chen
Zhao, Yang
Cao, Jianshu
author_sort Xu, Dazhi
title Polaron effects on the performance of light-harvesting systems : a quantum heat engine perspective
title_short Polaron effects on the performance of light-harvesting systems : a quantum heat engine perspective
title_full Polaron effects on the performance of light-harvesting systems : a quantum heat engine perspective
title_fullStr Polaron effects on the performance of light-harvesting systems : a quantum heat engine perspective
title_full_unstemmed Polaron effects on the performance of light-harvesting systems : a quantum heat engine perspective
title_sort polaron effects on the performance of light-harvesting systems : a quantum heat engine perspective
publishDate 2018
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/90022
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/46488
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