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Multicellular Tardigrade Meets Quantum Qubits... Experimental Modeling of the Entanglement Generation Controversy

inquantio

Published Jul 13, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

• A study published on arXiv conducted an unprecedented experiment by inducing a highly resilient multicellular organism, a tardigrade, into a state of suspended animation (cryptobiosis) and placing it directly on a superconducting qubit circuit in an extreme vacuum at millikelvin (mK) temperatures. • The researchers claim that quantum entanglement was formed between the tardigrade and the qubit system, evidenced by changes in the resonance frequency and coupling with a second qubit. • The study confirmed that the tardigrade miraculously revived to an active state upon returning to room temperature and atmospheric pressure after exposure to extreme quantum experimental conditions (sub 10 mK, 6×10^{-6} mbar), pioneering the exploration of the extreme limits where a multicellular organism can survive while integrated with quantum hardware. [Quantum Biology Society] While quantum systems generally require cold, controlled environments, living organisms exist in hot, wet conditions, leading to the assumption that the two systems are inherently incompatible. However, an unconventional attempt to directly couple a multicellular organism with quantum hardware has been reported in the academic community, sparking fierce debate and opening new frontiers in quantum biology. The paper, titled "Entanglement between superconducting qubits and a tardigrade," released on the preprint repository arXiv, details the results of experimentally modeling the interaction and quantum entanglement formation between a highly resilient tardigrade and superconducting qubits. A multinational research team, including K. S. Lee and R. Dumke from Nanyang Technological University and N. Møbjerg from the University of Copenhagen, led this experiment. ■ Extreme Integration of a Living Organism and Quantum Hardware The research team desiccated an adult tardigrade (R. varicornatus) collected in Denmark to induce a state of cryptobiosis (the "tun" state) and placed it between the capacitor plates of a superconducting transmon qubit (Qubit B). The system was then cooled to sub-10 millikelvin (mK) temperatures and an extreme vacuum of 6×10^{-6} mbar. In this state, the tardigrade is placed in perfect stasis, essentially suspending all chemical metabolic processes. ■ Evidence of Quantum Entanglement: Resonance Frequency Shift and State Tomography The maximum resonance frequency of Qubit B, where the tardigrade was placed, shifted down by 8 MHz, which the researchers interpreted as an interaction driven by the tardigrade's dielectric properties. Furthermore, the researchers conducted an experiment to entangle this Qubit B-tardigrade coupled system with a second qubit (Qubit A). After reconstructing the system's density matrix via quantum state tomography, it showed a high fidelity of 82% with the expected entangled state. Based on this data, the team claimed that the tardigrade was in a state of quantum entanglement with the other qubits within the tripartite system (Qubit A - Qubit B - Tardigrade). ■ Miraculous Revival After Extreme Exposure Most surprisingly, even after prolonged exposure to these extreme quantum experimental conditions, the tardigrade miraculously revived to an active metabolic state in liquid water upon returning to atmospheric pressure and room temperature. According to the paper, the tardigrade remained at sub 10 mK temperatures for 420 hours. This sets a new record for the extreme conditions under which a complex multicellular organism can survive, demonstrating that the cryptobiotic state perfectly suspends the organism's chemical activity enough to withstand quantum experiments. ■ New Debates and Possibilities in Quantum Biology This study has sparked an intense debate within the physics community over whether a living organism can truly be entangled with a quantum system. Some scholars strongly object, arguing that the tardigrade merely acted as a dielectric material passively influencing the electric field of the qubit circuit rather than directly participating in entanglement, making it difficult to view this as true biological quantum entanglement. Nevertheless, this experiment is a pioneering case demonstrating that an entire living organism can be physically coupled to quantum hardware and subsequently maintain its biological functions. It is evaluated as having empirically surpassed the concept of complementarity in living organisms proposed by Niels Bohr. It undeniably presents an exciting new path toward developing hybrid systems composed of living matter and quantum bits in the future.

DOI
10.5281/zenodo.21329292

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Abstract Quantum and biological systems are seldom discussed together as they seemingly demand opposing conditions. Life is complex, ‘hot and wet’ whereas quantum objects are small, cold and well controlled. Here, we overcome this barrier with a tardigrade—a microscopic multicellular organism known to tolerate extreme physicochemical conditions via a latent state of life known as cryptobiosis. We observe coupling between the animal in cryptobiosis and a superconducting quantum bit and prepare a highly entangled state between this combined system and another qubit. The tomographic data shows entanglement in the qubit-qubit-tardigrade system, with the tardigrade modelled as an ensemble of harmonic oscillators or collection of electric dipoles. The animal is then observed to return to its active form after 420 h at sub 10 mK temperatures and pressures below 6 × 10 − 6 mbar, setting a new record for the conditions that a complex form of life can survive.

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Finding Traces of Quantum Entanglement in the Living Human Brain

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• Published on bioRxiv, successfully observed multiple-quantum coherence (MQC) and SU(1,1) pair dynamics in proton spin ensembles of the living human brain. • Mathematically proved that the observed signal is not a classical SU(2) exchange model, but a non-compact SU(1,1) symmetry squeezing phenomenon based on double-quantum (DQ) coherence. • Overcame the thermodynamic obstruction of high-temperature biological environments at body temperature and presented a framework that strongly supports the possible existence of macroscopic many-body entanglement inside the brain. [Quantum Biology Society] The hypothesis that the living human brain could fundamentally operate like a giant quantum computer has long been a hot potato in the scientific community. This is because conventional physics dictates that quantum coherence collapses instantaneously in a warm and wet biological environment (about 310 K). However, a recent study has sent shockwaves through the academic world by discovering clear signal-level evidence of macroscopic quantum entanglement and multiple-quantum coherence (MQC) in the proton spin ensembles inside the human brain. An innovative paper titled "Signal-Level Witnessing of SU(1,1) Pair Dynamics in Brain Proton Spin Ensembles" was published on the preprint repository bioRxiv. Authored solely by independent researcher Christian Kerskens, this paper ruled out existing classical exchange pathways and analyzed the quantum dynamics of the brain from a new perspective. ■ SU(1,1) Quantum Squeezing Phenomenon Beyond Classical SU(2) Exchange In conventional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) theory, spin dynamics within dipolar-coupled ensembles of biological tissues have mainly been explained by the compact symmetry SU(2) exchange pathway. SU(2) symmetry creates a classical form of dynamics where spins oscillate and exchange with each other in an energy-constrained environment. However, unusual magnetic resonance data previously acquired from the living human brain exhibited features that directly contradict this SU(2) model. Phenomena that cannot be explained by classical exchange appeared, such as signals occurring immediately without an evolution delay, or refocusing occurring at the sum rather than the difference of the two frequencies. The author of this study, Christian Kerskens, presented a new analytical framework suggesting that these anomalous signals originate from a non-compact SU(1,1) pair sector. SU(1,1) symmetry is mainly dealt with in quantum optics and is the dynamics governing the exponential amplification and quantum squeezing of signals. This is the first time this symmetry has been directly observed in a macroscopic spin ensemble. ■ The Readout Pathway Uncovering Hidden Double-Quantum (DQ) Coherence The most significant characteristic of SU(1,1) pair operators is that they possess a double-quantum (DQ) coherence order rather than zero-quantum (ZQ). In principle, typical detectors cannot directly read these multiple-quantum states. However, the researcher mathematically proved that the unique 45°-gradient-45° pulse readout block used in the experiment provides a specific coherence-transfer pathway that converts this hidden DQ pair coherence into a detectable signal. In other words, he revealed that a specific wave we read as a brain MRI signal was actually the result of an entangled double-quantum state among brain protons. ■ Quantum Proof Overcoming the 'Thermodynamic Obstruction' of 310 K Biological Temperature Another crucial achievement of this study is that it bypassed the pseudopure-state obstruction, a chronic limitation of room-temperature bulk NMR environments. In the high-temperature brain environment, thermodynamic noise is dominant, so an entangled state can never be proven with a bipartite entanglement evaluation formula that isolates and looks at only two spins. The researcher redefined the observed signal not simply as a signal of two isolated spins, but as a collective multiple-quantum coherence (MQC) signal of the entire massive spin ensemble. The observed signal acts as a powerful quantum witness indicating that the macroscopic proton pool of the brain has exceeded the pure single-mode compression limit and entered a complex cross-mode entangled structure. This paper is evaluated as having an enormous impact on the convergence of brain science and quantum biology, as it demonstrated with a rigorous physical framework the possibility that the living human brain possesses a macroscopic quantum state with countless proton spins entangled with each other through SU(1,1) dynamics.

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•Jul 13, 2026•0 citations
• A study published on arXiv conducted an unprecedented experiment by inducing a highly resilient multicellular organism, a tardigrade, into a state of suspended animation (cryptobiosis) and placing it directly on a superconducting qubit circuit in an extreme vacuum at millikelvin (mK) temperatures. • The researchers claim that quantum entanglement was formed between the tardigrade and the qubit system, evidenced by changes in the resonance frequency and coupling with a second qubit. • The study confirmed that the tardigrade miraculously revived to an active state upon returning to room temperature and atmospheric pressure after exposure to extreme quantum experimental conditions (sub 10 mK, 6×10^{-6} mbar), pioneering the exploration of the extreme limits where a multicellular organism can survive while integrated with quantum hardware. [Quantum Biology Society] While quantum systems generally require cold, controlled environments, living organisms exist in hot, wet conditions, leading to the assumption that the two systems are inherently incompatible. However, an unconventional attempt to directly couple a multicellular organism with quantum hardware has been reported in the academic community, sparking fierce debate and opening new frontiers in quantum biology. The paper, titled "Entanglement between superconducting qubits and a tardigrade," released on the preprint repository arXiv, details the results of experimentally modeling the interaction and quantum entanglement formation between a highly resilient tardigrade and superconducting qubits. A multinational research team, including K. S. Lee and R. Dumke from Nanyang Technological University and N. Møbjerg from the University of Copenhagen, led this experiment. ■ Extreme Integration of a Living Organism and Quantum Hardware The research team desiccated an adult tardigrade (R. varicornatus) collected in Denmark to induce a state of cryptobiosis (the "tun" state) and placed it between the capacitor plates of a superconducting transmon qubit (Qubit B). The system was then cooled to sub-10 millikelvin (mK) temperatures and an extreme vacuum of 6×10^{-6} mbar. In this state, the tardigrade is placed in perfect stasis, essentially suspending all chemical metabolic processes. ■ Evidence of Quantum Entanglement: Resonance Frequency Shift and State Tomography The maximum resonance frequency of Qubit B, where the tardigrade was placed, shifted down by 8 MHz, which the researchers interpreted as an interaction driven by the tardigrade's dielectric properties. Furthermore, the researchers conducted an experiment to entangle this Qubit B-tardigrade coupled system with a second qubit (Qubit A). After reconstructing the system's density matrix via quantum state tomography, it showed a high fidelity of 82% with the expected entangled state. Based on this data, the team claimed that the tardigrade was in a state of quantum entanglement with the other qubits within the tripartite system (Qubit A - Qubit B - Tardigrade). ■ Miraculous Revival After Extreme Exposure Most surprisingly, even after prolonged exposure to these extreme quantum experimental conditions, the tardigrade miraculously revived to an active metabolic state in liquid water upon returning to atmospheric pressure and room temperature. According to the paper, the tardigrade remained at sub 10 mK temperatures for 420 hours. This sets a new record for the extreme conditions under which a complex multicellular organism can survive, demonstrating that the cryptobiotic state perfectly suspends the organism's chemical activity enough to withstand quantum experiments. ■ New Debates and Possibilities in Quantum Biology This study has sparked an intense debate within the physics community over whether a living organism can truly be entangled with a quantum system. Some scholars strongly object, arguing that the tardigrade merely acted as a dielectric material passively influencing the electric field of the qubit circuit rather than directly participating in entanglement, making it difficult to view this as true biological quantum entanglement. Nevertheless, this experiment is a pioneering case demonstrating that an entire living organism can be physically coupled to quantum hardware and subsequently maintain its biological functions. It is evaluated as having empirically surpassed the concept of complementarity in living organisms proposed by Niels Bohr. It undeniably presents an exciting new path toward developing hybrid systems composed of living matter and quantum bits in the future.
Abstract Quantum and biological systems are seldom discussed together as they seemingly demand opposing conditions. Life is complex, ‘hot and wet’ whereas quantum objects are small, cold and well controlled. Here, we overcome this barrier with a tardigrade—a microscopic multicellular organism known to tolerate extreme physicochemical conditions via a latent state of life known as cryptobiosis. We observe coupling between the animal in cryptobiosis and a superconducting quantum bit and prepare a highly entangled state between this combined system and another qubit. The tomographic data shows entanglement in the qubit-qubit-tardigrade system, with the tardigrade modelled as an ensemble of harmonic oscillators or collection of electric dipoles. The animal is then observed to return to its active form after 420 h at sub 10 mK temperatures and pressures below 6 × 10 − 6 mbar, setting a new record for the conditions that a complex form of life can survive.
• Published on bioRxiv, successfully observed multiple-quantum coherence (MQC) and SU(1,1) pair dynamics in proton spin ensembles of the living human brain. • Mathematically proved that the observed signal is not a classical SU(2) exchange model, but a non-compact SU(1,1) symmetry squeezing phenomenon based on double-quantum (DQ) coherence. • Overcame the thermodynamic obstruction of high-temperature biological environments at body temperature and presented a framework that strongly supports the possible existence of macroscopic many-body entanglement inside the brain. [Quantum Biology Society] The hypothesis that the living human brain could fundamentally operate like a giant quantum computer has long been a hot potato in the scientific community. This is because conventional physics dictates that quantum coherence collapses instantaneously in a warm and wet biological environment (about 310 K). However, a recent study has sent shockwaves through the academic world by discovering clear signal-level evidence of macroscopic quantum entanglement and multiple-quantum coherence (MQC) in the proton spin ensembles inside the human brain. An innovative paper titled "Signal-Level Witnessing of SU(1,1) Pair Dynamics in Brain Proton Spin Ensembles" was published on the preprint repository bioRxiv. Authored solely by independent researcher Christian Kerskens, this paper ruled out existing classical exchange pathways and analyzed the quantum dynamics of the brain from a new perspective. ■ SU(1,1) Quantum Squeezing Phenomenon Beyond Classical SU(2) Exchange In conventional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) theory, spin dynamics within dipolar-coupled ensembles of biological tissues have mainly been explained by the compact symmetry SU(2) exchange pathway. SU(2) symmetry creates a classical form of dynamics where spins oscillate and exchange with each other in an energy-constrained environment. However, unusual magnetic resonance data previously acquired from the living human brain exhibited features that directly contradict this SU(2) model. Phenomena that cannot be explained by classical exchange appeared, such as signals occurring immediately without an evolution delay, or refocusing occurring at the sum rather than the difference of the two frequencies. The author of this study, Christian Kerskens, presented a new analytical framework suggesting that these anomalous signals originate from a non-compact SU(1,1) pair sector. SU(1,1) symmetry is mainly dealt with in quantum optics and is the dynamics governing the exponential amplification and quantum squeezing of signals. This is the first time this symmetry has been directly observed in a macroscopic spin ensemble. ■ The Readout Pathway Uncovering Hidden Double-Quantum (DQ) Coherence The most significant characteristic of SU(1,1) pair operators is that they possess a double-quantum (DQ) coherence order rather than zero-quantum (ZQ). In principle, typical detectors cannot directly read these multiple-quantum states. However, the researcher mathematically proved that the unique 45°-gradient-45° pulse readout block used in the experiment provides a specific coherence-transfer pathway that converts this hidden DQ pair coherence into a detectable signal. In other words, he revealed that a specific wave we read as a brain MRI signal was actually the result of an entangled double-quantum state among brain protons. ■ Quantum Proof Overcoming the 'Thermodynamic Obstruction' of 310 K Biological Temperature Another crucial achievement of this study is that it bypassed the pseudopure-state obstruction, a chronic limitation of room-temperature bulk NMR environments. In the high-temperature brain environment, thermodynamic noise is dominant, so an entangled state can never be proven with a bipartite entanglement evaluation formula that isolates and looks at only two spins. The researcher redefined the observed signal not simply as a signal of two isolated spins, but as a collective multiple-quantum coherence (MQC) signal of the entire massive spin ensemble. The observed signal acts as a powerful quantum witness indicating that the macroscopic proton pool of the brain has exceeded the pure single-mode compression limit and entered a complex cross-mode entangled structure. This paper is evaluated as having an enormous impact on the convergence of brain science and quantum biology, as it demonstrated with a rigorous physical framework the possibility that the living human brain possesses a macroscopic quantum state with countless proton spins entangled with each other through SU(1,1) dynamics.
Quantum entanglement is a cornerstone of quantum information science, enabling advancements in quantum computing, cryptography, and metrology. We report a comprehensive experimental study of quantum entanglement in a superconducting circuit comprising two transmon qubits coupled via a tunable bus resonator, operating at ultra-low temperatures (10 mK) in a dilution refrigerator. Using precise microwave control, we generate Bell states with a fidelity of 0.94 ± 0.02 and a concurrence of 0.92 ± 0.03, confirming robust entanglement. Quantum state tomography and coherence measurements yield energy relaxation (T1) times of 92 ± 5 µs and 88 ± 4 µs, and dephasing (T2) times of 85 ± 6 µs and 82 ± 5 µs for qubits Q1 and Q2, respectively, at 10 mK. We systematically investigate the impact of temperature (10 mK, 50 mK, 100 mK) and environmental noise on entanglement persistence. Real-time analysis of recent literature and social media discussions highlights ongoing challenges in scaling superconducting qubit systems due to 1/f noise and material limitations. Our findings demonstrate the viability of superconducting circuits for high-fidelity quantum operations and provide critical insights into optimizing coherence at millikelvin temperatures.
Recent experimental research with marine algae points towards quantum entanglement at ambient temperature, with correlations between essential biological units separated by distances as long as 20 Angströms. The associated decoherence times, due to environmental influences, are found to be of order 400 fs. This prompted some authors to connect such findings with the possibility of some kind of quantum computation taking place in these biological entities: within the decoherence time scales, the cell "quantum calculates" the optimal "path" along which energy and signal would be transported more efficiently. Prompted by these experimental results, in this talk I remind the audience of a related topic proposed several years ago in connection with the possible rôle of quantum mechanics and/or field theory on dissipation-free energy transfer in microtubules (MT), which constitute fundamental cell substructures. The basic assumption was to view the cell MT as quantum electrodynamical cavities, providing sufficient isolation in vivo to enable the formation of electric-dipole quantum coherent solitonic states across the tubulin dimer walls. Crucial to this, were argued to be the electromagnetic interactions of the dipole moments of the tubulin dimers with the dipole quanta in the ordered water interiors of the MT, that play the rôle of quantum coherent cavity modes. Quantum entanglement between tubulin dimers was argued to be possible, provided there exists sufficient isolation from other environmental cell effects. The model was based on certain ferroelectric aspects of MT. Subsequent experiments in vitro could not confirm ferroelectricity at room temperatures, however they provided experimental measurements of the induced electric dipole moments of the MT under the influence of external electric fields. Nevertheless, this does not demonstrate that in vivo MT are not ferroelectric materials. More refined experiments should be done. In the talk I review the model and the associated experimental tests so far and discuss future directions, especially in view of the algae photo-experiments.
• Overcoming existing limitations of ultra-low temperatures and silicon bases by utilizing 3-nanometer (nm) fluorescent proteins as qubits. • Successful control of quantum states (Rabi oscillations) within E. coli at room temperature and human cells. • Enabling ultra-precise measurement of magnetic fields and temperatures inside cells... Heralding a paradigm shift in new drug development and cell imaging technologies. [Quantum Biology Society] The long-standing conventional wisdom that quantum technology can only be realized at cryogenic temperatures based on hard, highly ordered materials like diamonds or silicon has been broken. Biological quantum bits (qubits) that operate directly inside the watery and complex biological environment—that is, inside 'living cells'—have been developed for the first time in the world. Citing a study recently published in the international academic journal Nature, the US-based Science News reported that scientists have created biological qubits merely 3 nanometers (nm) in diameter using fluorescent proteins. ■ Controlling Quantum Mechanics with Biotechnology Tools Existing quantum technologies require extremely cold temperatures and strictly controlled environments, making them difficult to apply to unstable settings like the inside of living organisms. However, the research team chose to manipulate the spin of the 'fluorophore,' a specific part of a protein that emits light when exposed to it. Using genetic engineering, the research team directly produced this protein inside laboratory cells. They then succeeded in awakening the quantum properties of the protein by shooting laser light at it, fine-tuning it with microwaves, and observing the luminescence phenomenon. ■ Qubits Operating at 'Room Temperature'... Reading the Microenvironment of Diseases The most surprising achievement is the temperature of the experimental environment. Unlike the majority of qubits that lose their function at high temperatures, this biological qubit successfully demonstrated quantum state changes called 'Rabi oscillations' inside human cells at 175 Kelvin (-98.15°C), as well as inside E. coli at room temperature. This technological leap signifies the birth of 'biological quantum sensors' that can measure microscopic conditions such as magnetic fields and temperatures inside cells with unprecedented precision. It is expected to enable a new dimension of medical imaging technology and targeting by allowing the root causes of diseases to be identified at the intracellular molecular level. Amidst recent active academic movements in South Korea to integrate quantum mechanics into life phenomena, centered around the Quantum Biology Society, this study is also providing great inspiration for R&D strategies in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. In particular, such quantum sensing technology, which can precisely target and measure the microenvironment inside cells, could become a powerful key to maximizing the value of innovative pipelines in the future. Fluorescent proteins, which have been used for decades in biology labs to track proteins and cancer cells, are now wearing the clothes of quantum mechanics and opening a new era of quantum biology.