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Thermal-Light-Induced Coherent Dynamics in Atoms and Molecules -- an Exact Quantum Mechanical Treatment

The question of whether sunlight induces coherent dynamics in biological systems is under debate. Here we show, on the basis of an exact fully quantum mechanical treatment, that thermal light induces excited-state coherences in matter similar to those induced by a coherent state. We demonstrate the phenomenon on a V-type model system and a two-state Born-Oppenheimer molecular system. Remarkably, wavepacket-like dynamics is induced in the excited molecular potential-energy surface.