  The resource theory of quantum thermodynamics has emerged as a powerful tool
for exploring the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of microscopic and highly
correlated systems. Recently, it has been employed in photoisomerization, a
mechanism facilitating vision through the isomerism of the photo receptor
protein rhodopsin, to elucidate the fundamental limits of efficiency inherent
in this physical process. Limited attention has been given to the impact of
energetic quantum coherences in this process, as these coherences do not
influence the energy level populations within an individual molecule subjected
to thermal operations. However, a specific type of energetic quantum coherences
can impact the energy level populations in the scenario involving two or more
molecules. In this study, we examine the case of two molecules undergoing
photoisomerization to show that energetic quantum coherence can function as a
resource that amplifies the efficiency of photoisomerization. These insights
offer evidence for the role of energetic quantum coherence as a key resource in
the realm of quantum thermodynamics at mesoscopic scales.
