Quantum coherence in biological systems

2011/07/20 by Seth Lloyd · 1 voice · 3 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Neuroscience · Physics and Astronomy · #Photoreceptor and optogenetics research #Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms #Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies

paper · doi:10.1088/1742-6596/302/1/012037

openalex publication_date 2011/07/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

This paper reviews the role of quantum mechanics in biological systems, and shows how the interplay between coherence and decoherence can strongly enhance quantum transport in photosynthesis.

Citations

• Quantum computation and decision trees
• Evidence for wavelike energy transfer through quantum coherence in photosynthetic systems

Cited by

• A Conjugated Oligoelectrolyte Exhibiting Room Temperature Spin-Correlated Radical Pair Character for Biological Sensing
• Coherence and decoherence in generalized and noisy Shor's algorithm
• Quanutm-State Texture as a Resource: Measures and Nonclassical Interdependencies

Discussions

• 2/4 Like a factory operating at the atomic scale, biological systems exploit quantum effects despite their size. Lloyd (2011) reviews the evidence from photosynthesis. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-659 [bsky, 0 points, 1 comments]

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