Quantum criticality at the origin of life

Vattay, Gábor and Salahub, D. and Csabai, István and Nassimi, A. and Kaufmann, S. A. (2015) Quantum criticality at the origin of life. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONFERENCE SERIES, 626 (1). ISSN 1742-6588

Preview

Text 1502.06880.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (437kB) | Preview

Abstract

Why life persists at the edge of chaos is a question at the very heart of evolution. Here we show that molecules taking part in biochemical processes from small molecules to proteins are critical quantum mechanically. Electronic Hamiltonians of biomolecules are tuned exactly to the critical point of the metal-insulator transition separating the Anderson localized insulator phase from the conducting disordered metal phase. Using tools from Random Matrix Theory we con firm that the energy level statistics of these biomolecules show the universal transitional distribution of the metal-insulator critical point and the wave functions are multifractals in accordance with the theory of Anderson transitions. The findings point to the existence of a universal mechanism of charge transport in living matter. The revealed bio-conductor material is neither a metal nor an insulator but a new quantum critical material which can exist only in highly evolved systems and has unique material properties.

Actions (login required)

Edit Item