Radical-ion-pair reactions are the biochemical equivalent of the optical double-slit experiment

Radical-ion-pair reactions were recently shown to represent a rich biophysical laboratory for the application of quantum measurement theory methods and concepts. Here we show that radical-ion-pair reactions essentially form a nonlinear biochemical double-slit interferometer. Quantum coherence effects are visible when "which-path" information is limited, and the incoherent limit is approached when measurement-induced decoherence sets in. Based on this analogy with the optical double-slit experiment we derive and elaborate on the fundamental master equation of spin-selective radical-ion-pair reactions that covers the continuous range from complete incoherence to maximum singlet-triplet coherence.