1
|
Roberts K, Wolley O, Gregory T, Padgett MJ. A comparison between the measurement of quantum spatial correlations using qCMOS photon-number resolving and electron multiplying CCD camera technologies. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14687. [PMID: 38918443 PMCID: PMC11199506 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64674-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Cameras with single-photon sensitivities can be used to measure the spatial correlations between the photon-pairs that are produced by parametric down-conversion. Even when pumped by a single-mode laser, the signal and idler photons are typically distributed over several thousand spatial modes yet strongly correlated with each other in their position and anti-correlated in their transverse momentum. These spatial correlations enable applications in imaging, sensing, communication, and optical processing. Here we show that, using a photon-number resolving camera, spatial correlations can be observed after only a few 10s of seconds of measurement time, thereby demonstrating comparable performance with previous single photon sensitive camera technologies but with the additional capability to resolve photon-number. Consequently, these photon-number resolving technologies are likely to find wide use in quantum, low-light, imaging systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Roberts
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - O Wolley
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - T Gregory
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - M J Padgett
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sgobba F, Andrisani A, Santamaria Amato L. Photon Phase Delay Sensing with Sub-Attosecond Uncertainty. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:2202. [PMID: 38610413 PMCID: PMC11014027 DOI: 10.3390/s24072202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The application of statistical estimation theory to Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry led to enticing results in terms of the detection limit for photon reciprocal delay and polarisation measurement. In the following paper, a fully fibre-coupled setup operating in the telecom wavelength region proves to achieve, for the first time, in common-path Hong-Ou-Mandel-based interferometry, a detection limit for photon phase delay at the zeptosecond scale. The experimental results are then framed in a theoretical model by calculating the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) and, after comparison with the obtained experimental results, it is shown that our setup attains the optimal measurement, nearly saturating CRB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Sgobba
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Space Geodesy Centre ‘Giuseppe Colombo’, Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, MT, Italy; (F.S.); (A.A.)
- National Council for Research-National Institute of Optics (CNR-INO), Via Campi Flegrei n. 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
| | - Andrea Andrisani
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Space Geodesy Centre ‘Giuseppe Colombo’, Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, MT, Italy; (F.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Luigi Santamaria Amato
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Space Geodesy Centre ‘Giuseppe Colombo’, Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, MT, Italy; (F.S.); (A.A.)
- National Council for Research-National Institute of Optics (CNR-INO), Via Campi Flegrei n. 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Crawford J, Dolzhenko D, Keach M, Mueninghoff A, Abrahao RA, Martinez-Rincon J, Stankus P, Vintskevich S, Nomerotski A. Towards quantum telescopes: demonstration of a two-photon interferometer for precision astrometry. OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 31:44246-44258. [PMID: 38178500 DOI: 10.1364/oe.486342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Classical optical interferometry requires maintaining live, phase-stable links between telescope stations. This requirement greatly adds to the cost of extending to long baseline separations and limits on baselines will in turn limit the achievable angular resolution. Here we describe a novel type of two-photon interferometer for astrometry, which uses photons from two separate sky sources and does not require an optical link between stations. Such techniques may make large increases in interferometric baselines practical, even by orders of magnitude, with a corresponding improvement in astrometric precision benefiting numerous fields in astrophysics. We tested a benchtop analogue version of the two-source interferometer and unambiguously observe correlated behavior in detections of photon pairs from two thermal light sources, in agreement with theoretical predictions. This work opens new possibilities in future astronomical measurements.
Collapse
|
4
|
Sgobba F, Andrisani A, Dello Russo S, Siciliani de Cumis M, Santamaria Amato L. Attosecond-Level Delay Sensing via Temporal Quantum Erasing. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:7758. [PMID: 37765818 PMCID: PMC10535312 DOI: 10.3390/s23187758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Traditional Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interferometry, insensitive to photons phase mismatch, proved to be a rugged single-photon interferometric technique. By introducing a post-beam splitter polarization-dependent delay, it is possible to recover phase-sensitive fringes, obtaining a temporal quantum eraser that maintains the ruggedness of the original HOM with enhanced sensitivity. This setup shows promising applications in biological sensing and optical metrology, where high sensitivity requirements are coupled with the necessity to keep light intensity as low as possible to avoid power-induced degradation. In this paper, we developed a highly sensitive single photon birefringence-induced delay sensor operating in the telecom range (1550 nm). By using a temporal quantum eraser based on common path Hongr-Ou-Mandel Interferometry, we were able to achieve a sensitivity of 4 as for an integration time of 2·104 s.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Sgobba
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Centro Spaziale 'Giuseppe Colombo', Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, Italy
| | - Andrea Andrisani
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Centro Spaziale 'Giuseppe Colombo', Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, Italy
| | - Stefano Dello Russo
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Centro Spaziale 'Giuseppe Colombo', Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, Italy
| | - Mario Siciliani de Cumis
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Centro Spaziale 'Giuseppe Colombo', Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, L.go E. Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy
| | - Luigi Santamaria Amato
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Centro Spaziale 'Giuseppe Colombo', Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Campi Flegrei N. 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Vidyapin V, Zhang Y, England D, Sussman B. Characterisation of a single photon event camera for quantum imaging. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1009. [PMID: 36653398 PMCID: PMC9849442 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27842-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We show a simple yet effective method that can be used to characterize the per pixel quantum efficiency and temporal resolution of a single photon event camera for quantum imaging applications. Utilizing photon pairs generated through spontaneous parametric down-conversion, the detection efficiency of each pixel, and the temporal resolution of the system, are extracted through coincidence measurements. We use this method to evaluate the TPX3CAM, with appended image intensifier, and measure an average efficiency of [Formula: see text]% and a temporal resolution of 7.3 ns. Furthermore, this technique reveals important error mechanisms that can occur in post-processing. We expect that this technique, and elements therein, will be useful to characterise other quantum imaging systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victor Vidyapin
- grid.24433.320000 0004 0449 7958National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6 Canada
| | - Yingwen Zhang
- grid.24433.320000 0004 0449 7958National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6 Canada ,grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
| | - Duncan England
- grid.24433.320000 0004 0449 7958National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6 Canada
| | - Benjamin Sussman
- grid.24433.320000 0004 0449 7958National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6 Canada ,grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Safronenkov DA, Borshchevskaya NA, Novikova TI, Katamadze KG, Kuznetsov KA, Kitaeva GK. Measurement of the biphoton second-order correlation function with analog detectors. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:36644-36659. [PMID: 34809071 DOI: 10.1364/oe.441488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An experimental scheme and data processing approaches are proposed for measuring by analog photo detectors the normalized second-order correlation function of the biphoton field generated under spontaneous parametric down-conversion. Obtained results are especially important for quantum SPDC-based technologies in the long-wave spectral ranges, where it is difficult to use the single-photon detector at least in one of the two biphoton channels. The methods of discrimination of analog detection samples are developed to eliminate the negative influence of the detection noises and get quantitatively true values of both the correlation function and the detector quantum efficiency. The methods are demonstrated depending on whether two single-photon avalanche photo detectors are used in both SPDC channels, or at least one single-photon detector is replaced by a photo-multiplier tube which cannot operate in the photon counting mode.
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhang Y, England D, Nomerotski A, Sussman B. High speed imaging of spectral-temporal correlations in Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:28217-28227. [PMID: 34614958 DOI: 10.1364/oe.432191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this work we demonstrate spectral-temporal correlation measurements of the Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference effect with the use of a spectrometer based on a photon-counting camera. This setup allows us to take, within seconds, spectral temporal correlation measurements on entangled photon sources with sub-nanometer spectral resolution and nanosecond timing resolution. Through post processing, we can observe the HOM behaviour for any number of spectral filters of any shape and width at any wavelength over the observable spectral range. Our setup also offers great versatility in that it is capable of operating at a wide spectral range from the visible to the near infrared and does not require a pulsed pump laser for timing purposes. This work offers the ability to gain large amounts of spectral and temporal information from a HOM interferometer quickly and efficiently and will be a very useful tool for many quantum technology applications and fundamental quantum optics research.
Collapse
|
8
|
Prudkovskii P, Leontyev A, Kuznetsov K, Kitaeva G. Towards Measuring Terahertz Photon Statistics by a Superconducting Bolometer. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21154964. [PMID: 34372199 PMCID: PMC8347001 DOI: 10.3390/s21154964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Statistical distributions of the analog readings of an antenna-coupled THz superconducting bolometer were measured and analyzed under a special type of irradiation by low-energy fluxes of THz photons with Poisson photon statistics and controllable mean photon numbers. The photons were generated via low-gain parametric down-conversion in pulse-pumped Mg:LiNbO3 crystal placed to a cooled cryostat together with the bolometer NbN film. Results of theoretical approximation of experimental histograms reveal the discrete nature of THz detection by superconducting bolometers and open a way for studying their quantum characteristics. It is shown that bolometer readings per pulse consist of discrete counts (“single charges”), with the mean number linearly dependent on the number of input photons. Contributions of single counts to a total analog reading are statistically distributed according to the normal law, with average values slightly depending on the number of counts in each reading. A general formula is proposed to describe the relationship between continuous statistical distribution of the bolometer readings and discrete quantum statistics of the incident photons.
Collapse
|