Quantum Biology: From Theoretical Principles to Methods of Verification

With the improvement of experimental technique, recent years has seen the emergence of the field of quantum biology that unfolds at the interface of the quantum and the life sciences. This field examines several broad lines of development. First, it aims to explore the possible role of quantum dynamics in fundamental processes of life and has led theory to the discovery of a range of underlying principles that may support such processes, notably, the highly non-trivial interplay of quantum coherence and environmental noise. Secondly, the need for experimental verification of such phenomena provides new impetus to the development of quantum technologies that enable the observation of biological phenomena in hitherto unachieved detail making use for example of ultrafast laser spectroscopy but potentially also quantum sensors such as the NV-center in diamond. Thirdly, biological systems themselves may enable the realisation of new sensor functionalities that make use of the newly discovered theoretical principles such as the interplay of quantum coherent dynamics and noise. In this talk I will present key aspects of these three lines of development.