A light-dependent magnetoreception mechanism insensitive to light intensity and polarization

A light-dependent magnetoreception mechanism insensitive to light intensity and polarization.

Billions of migratory birds navigate thousands of kilometres every year aided by a magnetic compass sense, the biophysical mechanism of which is unclear. One leading hypothesis is that absorption of light by specialized photoreceptors in the retina produces short-lived chemical intermediates known as radical pairs whose chemistry is sensitive to tiny magnetic interactions. A potentially serious...

Demonstration of polarization-insensitive spatial light modulation using a single polarization-sensitive spatial light modulator

We present a simple configuration incorporating a single polarization-sensitive phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) to facilitate polarization-insensitive spatial light modulation. The polarization-insensitive configuration is formed by a polarization beam splitter (PBS), a polarization-sensitive phase-only LC-SLM, a half-wave plate (HWP), and a mirror in a loop structure...

Light-dependent magnetoreception in birds: analysis of the behaviour under red light after pre-exposure to red light.

In previous experiments, migratory birds had been disoriented under 635 nm red light, apparently unable to use their magnetic compass. The present study with European robins, Erithacus rubecula, confirms these findings for red light at the levels of 6 x 10(15) quanta s(-1) m(-2) and 43 x 10(15) quanta s(-1) m(-2), suggesting that the disorientation under red light was not caused by the test lig...

Shedding Light on Vertebrate Magnetoreception

We review the challenges and recent progress in elucidating the physiological basis of animal magnetoreception. Behavioral and theoretical studies suggest a link between photoreception and magnetoreception in some animals. Neurophysiological studies have the potential to prove this link and identify the location of and the mechanism underlying the magnetoreception system.

MinireviewShedding Light on Vertebrate Magnetoreception