What Is Spectral Sensitivity?
The relative efficiency or response of the human visual system to light energy as a function of the wavelength of that light. It is described by a curve.
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Photopic Curve
The Photopic (cone-mediated, bright light) curve peaks around 555 nm (yellow-green), indicating the eye is most sensitive to this wavelength during the day.
Scotopic Curve
The Scotopic (rod-mediated, dim light) curve peaks around 507 nm (blue-green), indicating a shift in maximum sensitivity toward shorter wavelengths in the dark (Purkinje shift).
Color Perception Link
Spectral sensitivity is fundamental to color vision, as the three types of cone photoreceptors (L, M, S) each have a unique, overlapping spectral sensitivity curve.
Why is the scotopic curve shifted?
The shift is due to the rod pigment (rhodopsin) being maximally stimulated by shorter, bluer wavelengths than the cone pigments.
Does sensitivity change with age?
Yes. The aging lens yellows, preferentially absorbing shorter (blue) wavelengths, which slightly reduces the eye's blue-light sensitivity.
What is the V($\lambda$) function?
The $V(\lambda)$ function is the official CIE (International Commission on Illumination) standard for photopic spectral sensitivity, used globally in photometry.