Quantum transport efficiency and Fourier's law.
We analyze the steady-state energy transfer in a chain of coupled two-level systems connecting two thermal reservoirs. Through an analytic treatment we find that the energy current is independent of the system size, hence violating Fourier's law of heat conduction. The classical diffusive behavior in Fourier's law of heat conduction can be recovered by introducing decoherence to the quantum systems constituting the chain. We relate these results to recent discussions of energy transport in biological light-harvesting systems, and discuss the role of quantum coherence and entanglement.
Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria, Europe. daniel.manzano@uibk.ac.at
Daniel
D
Manzano
Markus
M
Tiersch
Ali
A
Asadian
Hans J
HJ
Briegel
D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D004058:Diffusion; D006358:Hot Temperature; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / Q000378:metabolism; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D011789:Quantum Theory; D013696:Temperature; D013814:Thermal Conductivity
D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes