The photocatalytic properties of anatase , one of the three naturally occurring forms of titanium dioxide , were discovered in Japan in the late 1960s.

Detecting a single photon may seem overkill for most purposes. However, looking at such tiny amounts of light is essential for researchers working  with quantum computers as well as for  chip manufacturers, just to mention two examples.

The story began a few years ago, when two scientists from the University of Delft (see related story) developed a way to double the efficiency of currently available single photons detectors.