• Energy Research

Room-temperature studies of single molecules at femtosecond timescales provide detailed observation and control of ultrafast electronic and vibrational dynamics of organic dyes and photosynthetic complexes, probing quantum dynamics at ambient conditions and elucidating its role in chemistry and biology.

Coherence in Photosynthesis It is unclear how energy absorbed by pigments in antenna proteins is transferred to the central site of chemical catalysis during photosynthesis. Hildner et al. (p. 1448 ) observed coherence—prolonged persistence of a quantum mechanical phase relationship—at the single-molecule level in light-harvesting complexes from purple bacteria. The results bolster conclusions from past ensemble measurements that coherence plays a pivotal role in photosynthetic energy transfer. Hayes et al. (p. 1431 , published online 18 April) examined a series of small molecules comprised of bridged chromophores that also manifest prolonged coherence.