Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in Posner Molecules Enables Long-Lived Nuclear Spin Coherence — E8 Intelligence Research
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: FINDING: Posner molecule (Ca₉(PO₄)₆) dynamical ensemble exhibits spontaneous symmetry breaking — the time-averaged structure lacks the full symmetry of the static minimum-energy configuration, with phosphate ions undergoing hindered rotations that lift degeneracies in the ³¹P nuclear spin Hamiltonian, enabling long-lived quantum coherence via symmetry-protected subspaces. MATH: Ca₉(PO₄)₆ cluster; ³¹P nuclear spin-1/2 system (6 phosphates × 1 spin each = 6-qubit register); Hamiltonian H = Σ Jᵢⱼ Iᵢ·Iⱼ + Σ γB·Iᵢ + H_dipolar; coherence time T₂ extended by dynamical decoupling from rotational diffusion (τ_rot ~ 10⁻⁹–10⁻⁶ s); symmetry group reduction from S₆ (static) to C₁/C₂ (dynamical ensemble) CONNECTION: Phosphate tetrahedra (PO₄) embody crystallographic point group T_d (tetrahedral symmetry, order 24) — root system A₃; Ca₉ core approximates tricapped trigonal prism (D₃h symmetry); symmetry breaking pattern T_d → C₃/C₁ mirrors spontaneous symmetry breaking in gauge theories; no golden Author: Andrew Stewart Caldin, Independent Researcher, UK. Part of the E8 Intelligence Research series. Platform: e8intelligence.com
Author: Caldin, Andrew Stewart
Language: English
Subfield: Spectroscopy
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225454055