An eye on entanglement

Nicolas Brunner, Cyril Branciard, Nicolas Gisin

The human eye can detect optical signals containing only a few photons. We investigate the possibility to demonstrate entanglement with such biological detectors. While one person could not detect entanglement by simply observing photons, we discuss the possibility for several observers to demonstrate entanglement in a Bell-type experiment, in which standard detectors are replaced by human eyes. Using a toy model for biological detectors that captures their main characteristic, namely, a detection threshold, we show that Bell inequalities can be violated, thus demonstrating entanglement. Remarkably, when the response function of the detector is close to a step function, quantum nonlocality can be demonstrated without any further assumptions. For smoother response functions, as for the human eye, postselection is required.

Peter Mark Ainsworth

Valentina Caprara Vivoli, Pavel Sekatski, Nicolas Sangouard

Tremendous progress has been realized in quantum optics for engineering and detecting the quantum properties of light. Today, photon pairs are routinely created in entangled states. Entanglement is revealed using single-photon detectors in which a single photon triggers an avalanche current. The resulting signal is then processed and stored in a computer. Here, we propose an approach to get rid of all the electronic devices between the photons and the experimentalist, i.e., to use the experimentalist’s eye to detect entanglement. We show in particular that the micro-entanglement that is produced by sending a single photon into a beam splitter can be detected with the eye using the magnifying glass of a displacement in phase space. The feasibility study convincingly demonstrates the possibility of realizing the first experiment where entanglement is observed with the eye.

Valentina Caprara Vivoli, Pavel Sekatski, Nicolas Sangouard

Tremendous progress has been realized in quantum optics for engineering and detecting the quantum properties of light. Today, photon pairs are routinely created in entangled states. Entanglement is revealed using single-photon detectors in which a single photon triggers an avalanche current. The resulting signal is then processed and stored in a computer. Here, we propose an approach to get rid of all the electronic devices between the photons and the experimentalist i.e. to use the experimentalist's eye to detect entanglement. We show in particular, that the micro entanglement that is produced by sending a single photon into a beam-splitter can be detected with the eye using the magnifying glass of a displacement in phase space. The feasibility study convincingly demonstrates the possibility to realize the first experiment where entanglement is observed with the eye.