Speaker: Professor Sabre Kais, Department of Chemistry and Physics,
Purdue University

The Role of Quantum Entanglement and Coherence in Chemical Processes

Applications of the concepts of quantum information theory are usually related to the powerful and counter-intuitive quantum mechanical effects of superposition, interference and entanglement. Theoretical chemists have encountered and analyzed these quantum effects from the point of view of physical chemistry for decades. Therefore, combining results and insights from the quantum information community with those of the chemical physics community might lead to a fresh understanding of important chemical processes. In particular, I will discuss the role of entanglement in photosynthesis, dissociation of molecules and the mechanism with which birds determine magnetic north.