Radical-pair model of magnetoreception with spin–orbit coupling
The mechanism used by migratory birds to orientate themselves using the geomagnetic field is still a mystery in many species. The radical pair mechanism, in which very weak magnetic fields can influence certain types of spin-dependent chemical reactions, leading to biologically observable signals, h...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2013-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/15/8/083024 |
| _version_ | 1827874137752731648 |
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| author | Neill Lambert Simone De Liberato Clive Emary Franco Nori |
| author_facet | Neill Lambert Simone De Liberato Clive Emary Franco Nori |
| author_sort | Neill Lambert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The mechanism used by migratory birds to orientate themselves using the geomagnetic field is still a mystery in many species. The radical pair mechanism, in which very weak magnetic fields can influence certain types of spin-dependent chemical reactions, leading to biologically observable signals, has recently imposed itself as one of the most promising candidates for certain species. This is thanks both to its extreme sensitivity and its capacity to reproduce results from behavioral studies. Still, in order to gain a directional sensitivity, an anisotropic mechanism is needed. Recent proposals have explored the possibility that such an anisotropy is due to the electron–nucleus hyperfine interaction. In this work we explore a different possibility, in which the anisotropy is due to spin–orbit coupling between the electron spin and its angular momentum. We will show how a spin–orbit coupling-based magnetic compass can have performances comparable with the usually studied nuclear hyperfine based mechanism. Our results could thus help researchers actively looking for candidate biological molecules which may host magnetoreceptive functions, both to describe magnetoreception in birds as well as to develop artificial chemical compass systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:47:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c3ad0357aea44460821a610bee951791 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:47:55Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-c3ad0357aea44460821a610bee9517912023-08-08T11:29:43ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302013-01-0115808302410.1088/1367-2630/15/8/083024Radical-pair model of magnetoreception with spin–orbit couplingNeill Lambert0Simone De Liberato1Clive Emary2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9822-8390Franco Nori3CEMS, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, JapanSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton , Southampton SO17 1BJ, UKDepartment of Physics and Mathematics, University of Hull , Hull HU6 7RX, UKCEMS, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Physics, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040, USAThe mechanism used by migratory birds to orientate themselves using the geomagnetic field is still a mystery in many species. The radical pair mechanism, in which very weak magnetic fields can influence certain types of spin-dependent chemical reactions, leading to biologically observable signals, has recently imposed itself as one of the most promising candidates for certain species. This is thanks both to its extreme sensitivity and its capacity to reproduce results from behavioral studies. Still, in order to gain a directional sensitivity, an anisotropic mechanism is needed. Recent proposals have explored the possibility that such an anisotropy is due to the electron–nucleus hyperfine interaction. In this work we explore a different possibility, in which the anisotropy is due to spin–orbit coupling between the electron spin and its angular momentum. We will show how a spin–orbit coupling-based magnetic compass can have performances comparable with the usually studied nuclear hyperfine based mechanism. Our results could thus help researchers actively looking for candidate biological molecules which may host magnetoreceptive functions, both to describe magnetoreception in birds as well as to develop artificial chemical compass systems.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/15/8/083024 |
| spellingShingle | Neill Lambert Simone De Liberato Clive Emary Franco Nori Radical-pair model of magnetoreception with spin–orbit coupling New Journal of Physics |
| title | Radical-pair model of magnetoreception with spin–orbit coupling |
| title_full | Radical-pair model of magnetoreception with spin–orbit coupling |
| title_fullStr | Radical-pair model of magnetoreception with spin–orbit coupling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Radical-pair model of magnetoreception with spin–orbit coupling |
| title_short | Radical-pair model of magnetoreception with spin–orbit coupling |
| title_sort | radical pair model of magnetoreception with spin orbit coupling |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/15/8/083024 |
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