Long lifetimes of biophotons through diffusion among subradiant states: experiment and theory

Ultra-weak radiation biophotons have been detected and studied in various biological systems, including cells, tissues, and organisms. They are thought to arise from a variety of biochemical and biophysical processes within living organisms, such as metabolic reactions, oxidative processes, and cellular communication.

In diverse living tissues, prolonged biophoton lifetimes have been experimentally observed. In our presentation, we will introduce relaxation models incorporating radiant and subradiant states of molecules under conditions of intense collisions. We have demonstrated that collisions foster diffusion among subradiant collective states. The lifetimes derived from these models elucidate the exceptionally slow relaxation times observed experimentally in ultra-low radiation, commonly known as biophotons.

The study of relaxation of the ultra-weak radiation brings together biology, physics, and biophotonics, and offers insights into the fundamental processes underlying living organisms and their interactions with light.