Collective Quantum Effects and Heat-Engine Performance in Microtubules

Building on analytical results for helical distributions of quantum emitters [1], numerical simulations of protein-fiber networks [1-3], and experimental observations of superradiant quantum-yield enhancement in microtubules [2], recent work suggests that tryptophan lattices in diverse protein fibers can exhibit robust, length-dependent signatures of quantum-coherent interactions in the single-photon regime. In this study, we investigate microtubules as a quantum heat-engine platform, quantifying their power output and efficiency while analyzing how collective quantum effects—particularly superradiance—contribute to their performance. This framework provides new insight into how biological structures may exploit quantum correlations, offering a deeper understanding of their functional behavior through the lens of quantum thermodynamics.

[1] H. Patwa & PK. Single-photon superradiance and subradiance in helical collectives of quantum emitters. arXiv:2510.22468 [quant-ph] (2025). [2] N.S. Babcock, G.M.-Cabrera, K.E. Oberhofer, M. Chergui, G.L. Celardo, & PK. Ultraviolet superradiance from mega-networks of tryptophan in biological architectures. Journal of Physical Chemistry B 128, 4035–4046 (2024).[3] H. Patwa, N.S. Babcock, & PK. Quantum-enhanced photoprotection in neuroprotein architectures emerges from collective light-matter interactions. Frontiers in Physics 12, 1387271 (2024).