“New Research Uncovers Link Between Photosynthesis and Bose-Einstein Condensate”

You might think that given how basic and ubiquitous photosynthesis is, we’d known how it worked for a long time. Instead, the main part of the process remains a mystery. New research shows that one of these phases bears a striking resemblance to an exciton capacitor, something physicists have had to work hard to manufacture in the laboratory.

Professor David Mazzotti of the University of Chicago heads a lab that uses computer modeling to try to understand how atoms and molecules interact in important chemical processes. Some of these reactions are as important and common as photosynthesis, in which plants and algae use energy from sunlight to make sugars and starches.

The process begins with photons hitting loose electrons in the leaf, allowing the electrons and “holes” where the charge is to move through the chromophyll (chlorophyll molecule), carrying the sun’s energy. Although this has been known for a long time, Mazziotti and colleagues report that groups of electrons, holes and holes don’t always move like individuals.

Together, an electron and its hole are known as an exciton, and when viewed together, an electron has a different quantum property than either one. Excitons are bosons, for example, while electrons and holes are both fermions. By modeling the behavior of multiple stimuli, rather than each one individually, the researchers realized how similar their behavior was to that of the Bose-Einstein condensate, which is sometimes known as the “fifth state of matter” after conventional solids, liquids, gases, and plasmas. .

Bose-Einstein condensates allow large groups of atoms to exhibit the kind of mind-bending, quantum behavior normally seen only at the subatomic level. Not only can they dispense with universal phenomena like friction, but they can also engage in exotic quantum activities such as combining wave and particle behavior.

To make Bose-Einstein condensate, scientists need to cool the ordered material to a temperature just above absolute zero, but plants do the same outside your current window (if it’s daytime). “Photonic light is harvested in the system at room temperature and what’s more, the structure is unstructured – unlike the native, cold-temperature amorphous materials you use to make exciton condensers,” said Anna Skotin, first graduate student in the study. A statement.

The discovery was not made before, in part because vegetative stimulation is short-lived, and usually quickly recombines. As well as low temperatures, exciton recombination can be delayed by a strong magnetic field, but of course plants don’t have that either.

“As far as we know [photosynthesis and exciton condensates] Connections had never been made before, so we found this very interesting and exciting,” said Mazziotti.

Perhaps even more surprising, the excitons colored by the chromophore did not simultaneously become capacitor-like. Instead, the spots, which the authors refer to as “islands” form. However, these islands are not an unrelated curiosity.

A bunch of leafy greens. The paper notes that it “may lack some of the properties associated with macroscopic exciton condensation,” but “likely retains many of the advantages, including efficient energy transfer.” If so, it would make photosynthesis more efficient, contributing to the richness and abundance of life. Indeed, under ideal conditions, exciton condensation might double the rate of energy transfer compared to what is possible.

Even supercomputers struggle to model the complexities of atomic and subatomic behavior during photosynthesis, so the models are simpler than many other scientific scenarios. However, Mazziotti cautioned that group behavior is something that should not be ruled out. “We think local electron correlations are very important for capturing how nature works in reality,” he said.

This study is open access at Energy PRX