Prof Jonathan Jones

Abstract:

In his Comment on a recent paper by two of us Kominis claims that the recently proposed quantum measurement model for spin-selective reactions of radical pairs leads to ambiguous predictions in a simple case. Here we show that this claim is based on a confusion between the unreacted and unrecombined portions of the radical pairs, and to an incorrect interpretation of the improper density matrices used in both our model and the conventional Haberkorn model of such reactions. We further show that if this error is corrected then the supposed ambiguity is resolved.

Abstract:

Spin-selective reactions of radical pairs have traditionally been modelled theoretically by adding phenomenological rate equations to the quantum mechanical equation of motion of the radical pair spin density matrix. More recently an alternative set of rate expressions, based on a quantum measurement approach, has been suggested. Here we show how these two reaction operators can be seen as limiting cases of a more general reaction scheme.