Scientists at the University of Chicago have discovered a link between photosynthesis, a physical state that allows energy to flow without friction, and exciton condensations. This surprising finding, often associated with materials with temperatures well below room temperature, could lay the foundation for future electronic design and help unravel complex atomic interactions.

Inside the lab, scientists marvel at the strange state that occurs when atoms approach absolute zero. Trees outside their windows gather sunlight and turn it into new leaves. The two may seem unrelated, but new research from the University of Chicago shows that these processes are not as different as they seem on the surface.

a published study PRX Energy April 28 revealed the atomic-level connections between photosynthesis and exciton condensates – a strange physical state that allows energy to flow frictionlessly through matter. According to the authors, this finding is scientifically interesting and may offer new ways of thinking about electronics design.

“To our knowledge, these fields have never been connected before, so we found this very interesting and exciting,” said Professor David Mazziotti, co-author of the study.

Mazziotti’s lab specializes in modeling the complex interactions of atoms and molecules, as they exhibit interesting properties. These interactions are impossible to see with the naked eye, so computer simulations can give scientists a window into what’s what. From where this behavior is emerging and may also be the basis for the development of future technologies.

Specifically, Masiotti and study co-authors Anna Schouten and LeAnn Sager-Smith modeled what happens at the molecular level when photosynthesis occurs. When a photon from the sun hits the leaf, it causes changes in a specially designed molecule. Energy ejects an electron. The electron and the “hole” it was before can now travel around the leaf and transport the sun’s energy to another area, where it triggers a chemical reaction to make sugar for the plant.

This pair of electrons and holes moving together is called an exciton. When a team of researchers simulated the motion of several excitons from a bird’s-eye view, they noticed something strange. They saw patterns in the path of excitons that looked surprisingly familiar.

In fact, it was very similar to the behavior of a material known as Bose-Einstein condensation, sometimes called the “fifth state of matter.” In this material, excitons can combine in the same quantum state – like a series of bells ringing in perfect harmony. This allows energy to move around the material without friction. (Such strange behavior is of interest to scientists because they could be the seeds of big technology; for example, a similar state called superconductivity is the basis of MRI machines.)