Direct detection of a single photon by humans

Jonathan N. Tinsley; Maxim I. Molodtsov; Robert Prevedel; David Wartmann; Jofre Espigulé-Pons; Mattias Lauwers; Alipasha Vaziri

doi:10.1038/ncomms12172

Nature Communications (Jul 2016)

Direct detection of a single photon by humans

Jonathan N. Tinsley,
Maxim I. Molodtsov,
Robert Prevedel,
David Wartmann,
Jofre Espigulé-Pons,
Mattias Lauwers,
Alipasha Vaziri

Affiliations

Jonathan N. Tinsley: Research Institute of Molecular Pathology
Maxim I. Molodtsov: Research Institute of Molecular Pathology
Robert Prevedel: Research Institute of Molecular Pathology
David Wartmann: Research Institute of Molecular Pathology
Jofre Espigulé-Pons: Research Platform Quantum Phenomena & Nanoscale Biological Systems (QuNaBioS), University of Vienna
Mattias Lauwers: Research Institute of Molecular Pathology
Alipasha Vaziri: Research Institute of Molecular Pathology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12172
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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The detection limit of human vision has remained unclear. Using a quantum light source capable of generating single-photon states of light, authors here report that humans can perceive a single photon incidence on the eye with a probability above chance.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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