Quantum Bio-inspired Energy harvesting (QuBE)

The central hypothesis of this project is that biological inspiration combined with engineering at the microscopic scale, where quantum effects dominate, will enable new kinds of nano-antennae for applications in photovoltaics, optical sensing and power transfer. Unlocking sustainable sources of energy is a major challenge faced by society: increasing global energy needs and rising carbon dioxide levels have led to concerns about fossil fuels which are our current principal source of power. Not only are fossil fuels a fast-dwindling resource, their consumption is also believed to have a highly negative impact on our climate.

Sunlight, despite being abundant and free, only constitutes a relatively minor fraction in our energy mix, with the widespread uptake of light-harvesting technologies being hampered by their relatively high cost and the limited flexibility of existing photovoltaic technologies. Meanwhile, sunlight is Nature's power source: it directly or indirectly sustains almost all life of Earth. Nature has optimised biological structures over hundreds of millions of years to produce finely tuned and highly efficient solutions for the energy capture, conversion, storage, and delivery within living organisms.

On the atomic and molecular scale, energy is `quantised': it only occurs in tiny chunks, for example as the energy of a photon of light emitted from an excited atom. The most efficient way to capture, transport and convert energy will thus exploit our best understanding of the relevant physics, i.e. quantum theory. Indeed, there is now strong evidence that quantum effects are to some degree present in natural photosynthesis, raising the tantalising possibility that they may even play a functional role in the process. This motivates the study of quantum-enhanced artificial light-harvesting as a potential solution to the energy problem.

This project therefore aims to combine the state-of-the-art in controlling and designing quantum-engineered condensed matter nanostructures with inspiration from Nature's toolbox of proven and robust design principles for photosynthesis. Motivated by the aim to develop blueprints for the next generation of sustainable energy harvesting technologies, it will focus on designing novel kind of antennae which feature non-classical, quantum-enhanced performance. The core underlying scientific challenge is to develop the theory that allows us to understand, engineer, and control the interplay between quantum behaviour (wave-like interference and superposition states) and the more destructive process of exchanging energy with the wider surroundings through unavoidable physical interactions. When both these aspects govern the behaviour of collections of interacting nanostructures - either complex molecules or artificial semiconductor structures - this opens a rich playground of physical effects situated squarely between the quantum and the classical world. This is the regime in which natural photosynthesis operates, and the aim of this project is to find ways of replicating and possibly even surpassing Nature's performance in the crucial first step of irreversibly capturing energy from light.

Besides laying scientific groundwork for new kinds of bio-inspired cheap and flexible photovoltaics, this project will further our fundamental understanding of light-matter interactions of relevance for a range of other applications. More broadly, this project fits into the exciting scientific endeavour of understanding and controlling Nature at the quantum level. This is one of the great scientific challenges of the coming decades, with the potential to transform the technologies we use in our everyday lives. Currently the potential of quantum effects for practical applications is limited to processing data, transmitting information, and exquisite sensing. This project may be a step towards enabling new ways of generating clean energy.

The short term impact of this project will be predominantly on academic researchers. However, being at the forefront of topical research on open quantum systems, light matter interactions, and nanophotonics combined with addressing a pressing societal problem, endows this project with a high chance of developing broader impact through practical applications in due course. The primary intended medium to long term impact is the development of sustainable approaches to light-harvesting with a particular focus on organic photovoltaics. Besides potential for substantial associated environmental, societal and economic impact, this project will realise other impact on a shorter timescale: it will, for example, result in a deeper understanding of controlling collections of quantum structures and exploiting the rich opportunities afforded by a careful interplay between coherent dynamics and dissipative processes. This could underpin a host of applications beyond photovoltaics and light-harvesting, ranging from exotic non-classical sources of light to improved optical sensors or camera pixels. I am well-placed to deliver such impact in a timely manner, having previously worked with experimentalists across a broad range of topics ranging from implementing quantum information protocols to practical metrology all the way to foundational questions in physics.

Significant academic impact will be achieved by working closely with my project partners as well as my wide and diverse network of collaborators, both in theory and experimental: a key objective of this project is deliver specific protocols for experimentally testing radical new quantum effects, and this would be the first step towards practical and ultimately commercial exploitation of the new physical insights and effects which result from this project. This project will deliver impact through a workshop dedicated at furthering its scientific goals, consolidating and forging collaborations, and identifying related novel opportunities. Additionally, local collaborators at Heriot-Watt and their involvement in the National Quantum Hub network will be a valuable asset and provide important contacts (where applicable also including to national and international companies).

My work and this project will further impact society through the training of individuals with a broad range of sought-after skills, from technical to transferable. The UK has an increasing demand for highly qualified quantum researchers for academia and industry through the National Quantum Technology programme, and plethora of related emerging technologies in the context of industrial R&D. My track record of graduated high-achieving PhD students who have secured leading positions in the industry or continued with academic research underlines that I am in a strong position to continue delivering this impact. The project will also be impactful by helping me by advancing my own independent research profile with support and training committed by the host institution.

I also have an extensive track record in public engagement: for example, in 2012 was a key member delivering the Quantum of Spin exhibit at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, and I have seen been involved in developing digital outreach activities based on virtual and augmented reality and computer games (also see track record and Pathways to Impact and Justification of Resources for more details on experience and plans for this project.