QUANTUM OPTICAL COHERENCE IN CYTOSKELETAL MICROTUBULES - IMPLICATIONSFOR BRAIN-FUNCTION

'Laser-like,' long-range coherent quantum phenomena may occur biologic ally within cytoskeletal microtubules. This paper presents a theoretic al prediction of the occurrence in biological media of the phenomena w hich we term 'superradiance' and 'self-induced transparency'. Interact ions between the electric dipole field of water molecules confined wit hin the hollow core of microtubules and the quantized electromagnetic radiation field are considered, and microtubules are theorized to play the roles of non-linear coherent optical devices. Superradiance is a specific quantum mechanical ordering phenomenon with characteristic ti mes much shorter than those of thermal interaction. Consequently, opti cal signalling (and computation) in microtubules would be free from bo th thermal noise and loss. Superradiant optical computing in networks of microtubules and other cytoskeletal structures may provide a basis for biomolecular cognition and a substrate for consciousness.