Vortex structure of the tunneling flow in long-range electron transfer reactions

Ab initio calculations of tunneling current along a model 25-Angstrom-long polypeptide chain, and similar extended hydrocarbon molecular wires, show t hat in the tunneling flow there exist "topological defects,'' viz. the line s on which the wave function of the tunneling electron is zero, and the pha se of the wave function is not defined. As a result, the flow of quantum me chanical probability experiences circular motions (vortices) around such no dal lines, and the overall structure of the flow becomes remarkably complex . The vortices in the tunneling flow are quantized, and are similar in thei r mathematical nature to those in a quantum superfluid liquid. (C) 1999 Ame rican Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(99)70818-4].