Quantum Superposition in the Retina: Evidences and Proposals

Abstract

The retina is a light-sensitive layer structured as an array of millions of individual receptors that act as nano-antennas for photons. Apparently, the retina is one of the best known quantum detectors due to the rod cells that are able to respond to a single photon. It appears that the retina is an excellent photon detector and it can be hypothesized that quantum processing of information occurs within the retina and subsequent processing of information at the level of neural membranes decrease the overall quantum efficiency. In this article we review some evidences of quantum processing in retina and propose some experiments and ideas to detect quantum superposition in the retina. Actually, if the retina may involve quantum process, it is reasonable that the conventional tools of quantum spectroscopy could bring an unambiguous proof of this claim. Indeed, aim of this work is to show some methods to induce and verify the existence of quantum superposition in biological systems, more specifically the rodopsin molecules in the rod cells.