Self-replication of a quantum artificial organism driven by single-photon pulses

TL;DR

This paper presents a quantum artificial organism model that self-replicates driven by single-photon pulses, revealing insights into dissipative adaptation and the inevitability of spontaneous mutations in quantum systems.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum self-replication model based on lambda systems and single-photon pulses, connecting dissipative processes with self-replication and mutation phenomena.

Findings

Replication probability proportional to absorbed work

Spontaneous mutations occur due to off-resonant photon absorption

Links self-replication with dissipative adaptation and evolution

Abstract

Artificial organisms are computer programs that self-replicate, mutate, compete and evolve. How do these lifelike information-processing behaviours could arise in diverse far-from-equilibrium physical systems remains an open question. Here, I devise a toy model where the onset of self-replication of a quantum artificial organism (a chain of lambda systems) is owing to single-photon pulses added to a zero-temperature environment. The model results in a replication probability that is proportional to the absorbed work from the photon, in agreement with the theory of dissipative adaptation. Unexpectedly, spontaneous mutations are unavoidable in this model, due to rare but finite absorption of off-resonant photons. These results hint at self-replication as a possible link between dissipative adaptation and open-ended evolution.