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Quantum Optics and Single Photon Transduction in Insect Eyes

David Wilby1, 2, 3*, Alberto Peruzzo2, Natasha Mhatre1, Graham D. Marshall2, John Rarity4, Jeremy L. O'Brien2, Daniel Robert1, Nicholas W. Roberts1* and Ruth Oulton2, 4
  • 1 University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences, United Kingdom
  • 2 University of Bristol, School of Physics, United Kingdom
  • 3 University of Bristol, Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information, United Kingdom
  • 4 University of Bristol, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, United Kingdom

Photon absorption is the primary event in vision. Whilst the sensitivity of an eye is governed by a number of factors, one of the most fundamental is the quantum efficiency of the photon absorption. Previous measurements have investigated whether insect retinal cells are capable of detecting single photons1. The results suggest a process of photon counting in the individual rhabdom and high quantum efficiencies (for example 60% in Locusta migratoria1). However the Poissonian distribution of photons means that single photons cannot be guaranteed, and therefore these earlier works have not allowed and deterministic verification of single photon transduction events.

Modern day quantum photonics experiments widely use non-classical light sources, such as spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) heralded photon sources. This source produces a pair of photons, and therefore is guaranteed to deliver exactly one photon to a target whenever its twin ‘herald’ photon is detected2. Here we present measurements towards an experiment using a SPDC source to investigate single photon transduction in the locust (L. migratoria). We report characterising measurements of single photon transduction and detail the proposed application of a non-classical light source in visual neuroscience. This offers new possibilities in the characterisation and investigation of the
first step in visual transduction in insect photoreceptors.

Figure 1. The ‘quantum bump’ response to single photon absorption in the photoreceptor.

Figure 1
Image

References

1.P.G. Lillywhite, J. Comp. Physiol. 122, 189-200 (1977).
2. D.C. Burnham, D.L. Weinberg, Phys. Rev. Lett. 25, 84-87 (1970).

Keywords: Transduction, Quantum Photonics, quantum efficiency, Locusta migratoria, single photon

Conference: International Conference on Invertebrate Vision, Fjälkinge, Sweden, 1 Aug - 8 Aug, 2013.

Presentation Type: Poster presentation preferred

Topic: Transduction, signalling and coding

Citation: Wilby D, Peruzzo A, Mhatre N, Marshall GD, Rarity J, O'Brien JL, Robert D, Roberts NW and Oulton R (2019). Quantum Optics and Single Photon Transduction in Insect Eyes. Front. Physiol. Conference Abstract: International Conference on Invertebrate Vision. doi: 10.3389/conf.fphys.2013.25.00061

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Received: 28 Feb 2013; Published Online: 09 Dec 2019.

* Correspondence:
Mr. David Wilby, University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences, Bristol, BS8 1UG, United Kingdom, drdavidwilby@gmail.com
Dr. Nicholas W Roberts, University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences, Bristol, BS8 1UG, United Kingdom, nicholas.roberts@bristol.ac.uk