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arXiv:2202.02231 · Optics Express

Weak thermal state quadrature-noise shadow imaging

Pratik J. Barge, Ziqi Niu, Savannah L. Cuozzo, Eugeniy E. Mikhailov, Irina V. Novikova, Hwang Lee, Lior Cohen

Published Jul 14, 2022• 3 citations

Abstract

In this work, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate the possibility to create an image of an opaque object using a few-photon thermal optical field. We utilize the quadrature-noise shadow imaging (QSI) technique that detects the changes in the quadrature-noise statistics of the probe beam after its interaction with an object. We show that such a thermal QSI scheme has an advantage over the classical differential imaging when the effect of dark counts is considered. At the same time, the easy availability of thermal sources for any wavelength makes the method practical for broad range of applications, not accessible with, e.g., quantum squeezed light. As a proof of principle, we implement this scheme by two different light sources: a pseudo-thermal beam generated by rotating ground glass (RGG) method and a thermal beam generated by four-wave mixing (FWM) method. The RGG method shows simplicity and robustness of QSI scheme while the FWM method validates theoretical signal-to-noise ratio predictions. Finally, we demonstrate low-light imaging abilities with QSI by imaging a biological specimen on a CCD camera, detecting as low as 0.03 photons on average per pixel per 1.7 µs exposure.

DOI: 10.1364/oe.455646

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Abstract This paper experimentally demonstrates an imaging technique based on quadrature noise modification after interaction with an opaque object. By using a homodyne‐like detection scheme, the detrimental effect of the camera dark noise is eliminated, making this approach particularly attractive for imaging scenarios which require weak illumination. As an example, the image of an object illuminated with a squeezed vacuum is reconstructed using a total of 800 probing photons, utilizing less than one photon per frame on average.

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Distinct from previous principle-demonstrations, this practical quantum ghost imaging experiment presents the first set of two-photon images captured by a photon counting CCD camera by means of jointly counting 'reflected' photons from the object. In fact, the CCD camera was not 'looking' at the object at all. Rather, the CCD camera was facing the chaotic light source. The output of the CCD camera was used for coincidence registration of the two-photon joint-detection events with another photon counting detector which simply collects all randomly reflected photons from the surface of the object. It is also interesting to find that the observed two-photon images are 'distortion-free', i.e., any disturbances made along the light path has no effect on the quality of the image. These experimental observations are not only useful for practical field-applications, but also important from fundamental point of view. The experiment evidences a rejection of the 'projection shadow' idea in a non-deniable way and further explores the two-photon interference nature of thermal light ghost imaging.