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Nature 403, 374-375 (27 January 2000) | doi:10.1038/35000322

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Nanotechnology: One photon seen by one electron

Leo Kouwenhoven

Single photons can easily be detected by photomultipliers if their wavelength is much shorter than a micrometre. Photomultipliers contain photosensitive material inside a vacuum tube that produces a cascade of electrons when a photon strikes.