Quantum modeling of radical pair magnetic sensor based on electric dipole moment

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Sehati, Mahboobe, Soltanmanesh, Ali, Abutalebi, Shabnam, Bahrampour, Abolfazl, Haeri, Naser, Rostami, Sareh, Bahrampour, Alireza
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Sehati, Mahboobe
Soltanmanesh, Ali
Abutalebi, Shabnam
Bahrampour, Abolfazl
Haeri, Naser
Rostami, Sareh
Bahrampour, Alireza
author_facet Sehati, Mahboobe
Soltanmanesh, Ali
Abutalebi, Shabnam
Bahrampour, Abolfazl
Haeri, Naser
Rostami, Sareh
Bahrampour, Alireza
contents Photoreduction of cryptochrome protein in the retina is a well-known mechanism of navigation of birds through the geomagnetic field, yet the biosignal nature of the mechanism remains unclear. The absorption of blue light by the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) chromophore can alter the distribution of electrons in cryptochrome and create radical pairs with separated charges. In this study, the spin dynamics of electrons in the radical pair and its coupling with spatial position were investigated by computational modeling from a quantum mechanical perspective. Several interactions were considered in the presence of an external magnetic field, and the resulting electric dipole moment in cryptochrome was computed as the quantity emerging from this coupling. The computations show the induced electric dipole moment clearly depend on the characteristics of the applied magnetic field even after considering dissipative effects. In fact, our findings indicate that the radical pair in cryptochrome protein is a magnetic biosensor, in the sense that in the presence of the geomagnetic field, variations in spin states can influence its electric dipole moment, which may be interpreted via the bird as an orientation signal. The results can be used in the advancement of bio-inspired technologies which replicate animal magnetic sensitivity. On the other hand, with increasing concern about the detrimental effects of electromagnetic fields on wildlife and human health, studying the phenomenon of magnetoreception can contribute to a deeper understanding of how biological structures interact with these fields.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_13840
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Quantum modeling of radical pair magnetic sensor based on electric dipole moment
Sehati, Mahboobe
Soltanmanesh, Ali
Abutalebi, Shabnam
Bahrampour, Abolfazl
Haeri, Naser
Rostami, Sareh
Bahrampour, Alireza
Biological Physics
Quantum Physics
Photoreduction of cryptochrome protein in the retina is a well-known mechanism of navigation of birds through the geomagnetic field, yet the biosignal nature of the mechanism remains unclear. The absorption of blue light by the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) chromophore can alter the distribution of electrons in cryptochrome and create radical pairs with separated charges. In this study, the spin dynamics of electrons in the radical pair and its coupling with spatial position were investigated by computational modeling from a quantum mechanical perspective. Several interactions were considered in the presence of an external magnetic field, and the resulting electric dipole moment in cryptochrome was computed as the quantity emerging from this coupling. The computations show the induced electric dipole moment clearly depend on the characteristics of the applied magnetic field even after considering dissipative effects. In fact, our findings indicate that the radical pair in cryptochrome protein is a magnetic biosensor, in the sense that in the presence of the geomagnetic field, variations in spin states can influence its electric dipole moment, which may be interpreted via the bird as an orientation signal. The results can be used in the advancement of bio-inspired technologies which replicate animal magnetic sensitivity. On the other hand, with increasing concern about the detrimental effects of electromagnetic fields on wildlife and human health, studying the phenomenon of magnetoreception can contribute to a deeper understanding of how biological structures interact with these fields.
title Quantum modeling of radical pair magnetic sensor based on electric dipole moment
topic Biological Physics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.13840