Quantum entanglement offers clues to nature’s fast energy flow

Researchers at Rice University have found evidence that quantum entanglement can accelerate energy transfer in natural processes such as photosynthesis. Their simulations demonstrated that when energy starts in an entangled, delocalized state across multiple molecular sites, it moves faster to the acceptor site compared to starting localized at a single site. This speed advantage persisted even in the presence of environmental noise and across various parameters, suggesting that nature may exploit quantum coherence and entanglement to enhance the efficiency and robustness of energy flow in biological systems. The study used a simplified molecular model with donor and acceptor regions and included environmental effects like vibrations that influence energy transfer. The findings imply that natural systems might use quantum effects as a blueprint to optimize energy transfer speed, which could inspire new design principles for artificial light-harvesting technologies, such as more efficient solar cells. The researchers propose that experimental tests on controllable quantum platforms, like trapped-ion systems, could further validate their results. Overall, the work bridges quantum physics and biology, highlighting