Photo-activated biological processes as quantum measurements
arXiv:1408.5798 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.91.022714
Abstract
We outline a framework for describing photo-activated biological reactions as generalized quantum measurements of external fields, for which the biological system takes on the role of a quantum meter. By using general arguments regarding the Hamiltonian that describes the measurement interaction, we identify the cases where it is essential for a complex chemical or biological system to exhibit non-equilibrium quantum coherent dynamics in order to achieve the requisite functionality. We illustrate the analysis by considering measurement of the solar radiation field in photosynthesis and measurement of the earth's magnetic field in avian magnetoreception.
arXiv comment9 pages, 2 figures
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Cited by in corpus (5)
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- Unveiling operator growth in SYK quench dynamics
- A precise measure of avian magnetoreception based on quantum metrology
- Dark state population determines magnetic sensitivity in radical pair magnetoreception model