IQIM Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Seminar

Abstract: Matthew Fisher recently postulated a mechanism by which quantum phenomena could influence
cognition: Phosphorus nuclear spins may resist decoherence for long times. The spins would
serve as biological qubits. The qubits may resist decoherence longer when in Posner molecules.
We imagine that Fisher postulates correctly. How adroitly could biological systems process
quantum information (QI)? We establish a framework for answering. Additionally, we construct
applications of biological qubits to quantum error correction, quantum communication, and
quantum computation. This work opens the door for the QI-theoretic analysis of biological qubits
and Posner molecules.

arXiv:1711.04801, Nicole Yunger Halpern, Elizabeth Crosson, Quantum information in quantum cognition