Quantum Coherence Drives Near-Perfect Photosynthetic Energy Transfer Efficiency — E8 Intelligence Research

Abstract

FINDING: Photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes exploit quantum coherence (electronic/vibrational superposition) to achieve near-unity energy transfer efficiency, with evidence from 2D electronic spectroscopy and theoretical models (e.g., Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex). | MATH: Efficiency η ≈ 0.95–0.99; coherence time τ_c ≈ 300–600 fs at 77 K, ~100 fs at 300 K; exciton coupling J ~ 100 cm⁻¹; reorganization energy λ ~ 35 cm⁻¹; Huang-Rhys factor S = λ/ℏω ~ 0.5–1.0; energy transfer rate k ∝ J²/(ℏ²Γ) (Redfield/Forster crossover); quantum beat frequencies ω ~ 2J/ℏ ~ 200–400 cm⁻¹. | CONNECTION: The ratio λ/J ≈ 0.35–0.5 approaches the golden-ratio conjugate 0.382; the coherence-to-dissipation ratio Γ/λ ~ 2.6–2.8 near 2.618 (φ²); exciton delocalization length ~ 2–3 chromophores mirrors triangular lattice symmetry (C₃) in chlorophyll arrays; base-60 appears in vibrational mode frequencies (e.g., 60 cm⁻¹ phonon modes) coupling to electronic transitions. | DEPTH: 8 — This is not speculative: it Author: Andrew Stewart Caldin, Independent Researcher, UK. Part of the E8 Intelligence Research series. Platform: e8intelligence.com