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Adv."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>For years, scientists have debated whether plants and algae use quantum coherence to enhance the transfer of light energy during photosynthesis. Some studies have suggested that wavelike quantum effects might help energy flow more efficiently between pigments. To investigate this idea, we studied allophycocyanin (APC), a light-harvesting protein complex found in cyanobacteria. Using a combination of ultrafast laser spectroscopic methods and rigorous hierarchical equations-of-motion simulations, we examined both the trimer protein complex and its monomer subunit. The experiments detected rapid oscillations in the optical signals that resembled quantum beats. However, temperature-dependent studies and further analysis showed that these signals were caused by vibrations rather than true quantum superpositions. 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