The radical pair mechanism and the avian chemical compass: Quantum coherence and entanglement

We review the spin radical pair mechanism which is a promising explanation of avian navigation. This mechanism is based on the dependence of product yields on (1) the hyperfine interaction involving electron spins and neighboring nuclear spins and (2) the intensity and orientation of the geomagnetic field. This review describes the general scheme of chemical reactions involving radical pairs generated from singlet and triplet precursors; the spin dynamics of the radical pairs; and the magnetic field dependence of product yields caused by the radical pair mechanism. The main part of the review includes a description of the chemical compass in birds. We review: the general properties of the avian compass; the basic scheme of the radical pair mechanism; the reaction kinetics in cryptochrome; quantum coherence and entanglement in the avian compass; and the effects of noise. We believe that the quantum avian compass can play an important role in avian navigation and can also provide the foundation for a new generation of sensitive and selective magnetic‐sensing nano‐devices. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The navigational ability of birds has been a subject of interest for centuries. The radical pair mechanism of the avian compass is a promising hypothesis to explain the way in which birds use the geomagnetic field to navigate themselves. Entanglement lasts long enough in this mechanism and can play an important role in it. The study of the radical pair mechanism can also provide the foundation for a new generation of sensitive and selective magnetic‐sensing nano‐devices.