Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2211.13788 · Scientific Reports

Characterisation of a single photon event camera for quantum imaging

Victor Vidyapin, Yingwen Zhang, Duncan G. England, Benjamin Sussman

Published Jan 18, 2023• 33 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

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.

DOI
10.1038/s41598-023-27842-7

Related papers

Real-time Processing of Correlated Photons for Quantum Imaging

Isaac Reichman, Gilad Pollack, Hadar Aharon +1 more

Quantum imaging leverages nonclassical correlations to reveal features that may vanish in conventional event integration [ 1, 2]. While single-photon detectors are well-established, quantum imaging demands complex data acquisition across many thousands of detectors, each generating rich metadata including triggering time, duration, and other properties. Consequently, effective data management, data wrangling, and correlation extraction become critical challenges. In this work, we investigate optimal handling of spatial correlations from a quantum-photonic source (spontaneous parametric down-conversion, SPDC) using an emerging single-photon event-based camera, the TPX3CAM (256×256 array, supported by an intensifier). Utilizing a femtosecond photon-pair source, we comprehensively analyse noise characteristics, including temporal dynamics and spatial distribution, to develop advanced spatio-temporal noise suppression strategies tailored to camera performance. Our primary objectives include real-time isolation and preprocessing of correlative data. Our analysis demonstrates the potential of these real-time correlation detection and noise reduction algorithms to expand quantum imaging capabilities across diverse scientific domains. Potential applications include high-resolution spectroscopy in biology, materials science, and advanced electron microscopy, where these techniques could enable identification of cascaded two-photon processes with atomic-scale precision. Figure 1 shows an excellent example of such a detection in real-space. The ring feature corresponds to the location of the correlated photon-pairs produced from the SPDC process. This is also apparent in figure 2, where we see a strong anti-correlation between the coordinates of the detected photons – corresponding to photon-pairs. <!-- named anchor --> Figure 1: Distribution of SPDC photons on TPX3CAM <!-- named anchor --> Figure 2: Spatial anti-correlation of x-coordinates

•Jan 1, 2025•0 citations

Acquisition of multiple photon pairs with an EMCCD camera

Eliot Bolduc, Daniele Faccio, Jonathan Leach

The detection and characterization of quantum states of light plays an important role in quantum science. Traditional methods use single-photon detectors, but these are generally limited to point measurements; consequently, multi-pixel devices are now being utilized in quantum measurements, especially in the field of quantum imaging. Here, we demonstrate the capability of an EMCCD camera to record multiple coincidence events originating from parametric downconversion where the mean photon number per pixel is much greater than unity. The multi-pixel nature of the camera enables us to record correlations ranging from to 10 000 coincidences per frame. This approach to quantum measurements provide mechanisms for recording quantum signatures for bright correlated photon sources.

Journal of Optics•Apr 18, 2017•19 citations

Analysis of a quantum imaging system based on SPAD detection

Fabio Severini, Francesca Madonini, Federica Villa

The ability to generate and handle quantum correlations in twin-beam states is the foundation to overcome the imaging limitations imposed by classical light [1], relying on efficient detectors able to select temporal correlations among photons with maximized signal-to-noise ratio. Indeed, quantum information is contained in the interaction with the sample of just two photons, thus losing even one of them or mixing them up with background can completely compromise the experiment. To this end, assessing and evaluating the expected probability of measurement errors is of utmost importance to optimize the detector design. A typical experimental setup of a quantum imaging system based on Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC), the most effective way of producing temporally and spatially correlated entangled photons [2], involves a pump laser hitting a non-linear birefringent crystal producing a down-converted signal, some passive optical components to generate polarization-entangled photons and a pixelated photon detector that eventually reveals the position of coincident entangled photons. The overall detection efficiency of the measurement setup (i.e. heralding efficiency ηH) gathers all its possible losses and non-idealities of the mentioned setup components, namely the crystal conversion efficiency, the optical losses, the detector Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) and fill-factor. In this study, we consider a detection based on a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) array, able to detect coincidences on-chip and with event-driven architecture, which provides fast readout, low power consumption and optimized data throughput. However, related to every on-chip coincidence detection and event-driven based architecture, some operations require a certain amount of time to be performed that, combined with the generation of undesired single photons (both due to limited heralding efficiency and SPAD Dark Count Rate, DCR), yield to three measurement errors, here described with their related probabilities. Firstly, due to the finite duration of the coincidence window ∆tCOINC, there exist a probability Pfalseof wrongly detecting as coincident photons two single photons, and can be expressed as:\begin{equation*}{P_{false}} = \frac{{\left[ {2{\mu _{SOURCE{\text{ }}}}{\eta _H}\left( {1 - {\eta _H}} \right) + {\text{DCR}}} \right]\left( {1 - {e^{ - \left[ {2{\mu _{SOURCE}}{\eta _H}\left( {1 - {\eta _H}} \right) + {\text{DCR}}} \right]\Delta {t_{COINC}}}}} \right)}}{{{\mu _{SOURCE}}\eta _H^2 + \left[ {2{\mu _{SOURCE}}{\eta _H}\left( {1 - {\eta _H}} \right) + DCR} \right]\left( {1 - {e^{ - \left[ {2{\mu _{SOURCE}}{\eta _H}\left( {1 - {\eta _H}} \right) + {\text{DCR}}} \right]\Delta {t_{COINC}}}}} \right)}}\tag{1}\end{equation*}where µSOURCEis the number of photon pairs generated by an ideal non-linear crystal. Secondly, in the time needed for the array to "freeze" the pixels state after a coincidence event (∆tFREEZE) so that they can be readout, there is the probability Pspuriousof detecting a third spurious event after a coincidence has been detected, which is expressed as:\begin{equation*}{P_{spurious}} = 1 - {e^{ - \left[ {2{\mu _{SOURCE\eta }}_H\left( {1 - {\eta _H}} \right) + DCR} \right]\Delta {t_{FREEZE}}}}\tag{2}\end{equation*}

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 21, 2021•0 citations

Spatial characterization of photonic polarization entanglement using a Tpx3Cam intensified fast-camera

Christopher Ianzano, P. Švihra, Mael Flament +4 more

Scalable technologies to characterize the performance of quantum devices are crucial to creating large quantum networks and quantum processing units. Chief among the resources of quantum information processing is entanglement. Here we describe the full temporal and spatial characterization of polarization-entangled photons produced by Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversions using an intensified high-speed optical camera, Tpx3Cam. This novel technique allows for precise determination of Bell inequality parameters with minimal technical overhead, as well as novel characterization methods of the spatial distribution of entangled quantum information. This could lead to multiple applications in Quantum Information Science, opening new perspectives for the scalability of quantum experiments.

arXiv:1808.06720•Aug 20, 2018•4 citations

Quantum imaging with a photon counting camera

Osian Wolley, Thomas Gregory, Sebastian M. J. Beer +2 more

Classical light sources emit a randomly-timed stream of individual photons, the spatial distribution of which can be detected with a camera to form an image. Quantum light sources, based on parametric down conversion, emit photons as correlated photon-pairs. The spatial correlations between the photons enables imaging systems where the preferential selection of photon-pairs allows for enhancements in the noise performance over what is possible using classical light sources. However, until now the technical challenge of measuring, and correlating both photons has led to system complexity. Here we show that a camera capable of resolving the number of individual photons in each pixel of the detector array can be used to record an image formed from these photon-pair events and hence achieve a greater contrast than possible using a classical light source. We achieve an enhancement in the ratio of two-photon events compared to one-photon events using spatially correlated SPDC light compared to uncorrelated illumination by a LED. These results indicate the potential advantages of using photon counting cameras in quantum imaging schemes and these advantages will further increase as the technology is developed. Operating in photon sparse regimes such systems have potential applications in low-light microscopy and covert imaging.

Scientific Reports•May 18, 2022•47 citations

Detection of non-classical space-time correlations with a novel type of single-photon camera

Felix Just, Mykhaylo Filipenko, Andrea Cavanna +9 more

During the last decades, multi-pixel detectors have been developed capable of registering single photons. The newly developed hybrid photon detector camera has a remarkable property that it has not only spatial but also temporal resolution. In this work, we apply this device to the detection of non-classical light from spontaneous parametric down-conversion and use two-photon correlations for the absolute calibration of its quantum efficiency.

arXiv:1404.6946•Optics Express•Jul 11, 2014•11 citations
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.
Quantum imaging leverages nonclassical correlations to reveal features that may vanish in conventional event integration [ 1, 2]. While single-photon detectors are well-established, quantum imaging demands complex data acquisition across many thousands of detectors, each generating rich metadata including triggering time, duration, and other properties. Consequently, effective data management, data wrangling, and correlation extraction become critical challenges. In this work, we investigate optimal handling of spatial correlations from a quantum-photonic source (spontaneous parametric down-conversion, SPDC) using an emerging single-photon event-based camera, the TPX3CAM (256×256 array, supported by an intensifier). Utilizing a femtosecond photon-pair source, we comprehensively analyse noise characteristics, including temporal dynamics and spatial distribution, to develop advanced spatio-temporal noise suppression strategies tailored to camera performance. Our primary objectives include real-time isolation and preprocessing of correlative data. Our analysis demonstrates the potential of these real-time correlation detection and noise reduction algorithms to expand quantum imaging capabilities across diverse scientific domains. Potential applications include high-resolution spectroscopy in biology, materials science, and advanced electron microscopy, where these techniques could enable identification of cascaded two-photon processes with atomic-scale precision. Figure 1 shows an excellent example of such a detection in real-space. The ring feature corresponds to the location of the correlated photon-pairs produced from the SPDC process. This is also apparent in figure 2, where we see a strong anti-correlation between the coordinates of the detected photons – corresponding to photon-pairs. <!-- named anchor --> Figure 1: Distribution of SPDC photons on TPX3CAM <!-- named anchor --> Figure 2: Spatial anti-correlation of x-coordinates
The detection and characterization of quantum states of light plays an important role in quantum science. Traditional methods use single-photon detectors, but these are generally limited to point measurements; consequently, multi-pixel devices are now being utilized in quantum measurements, especially in the field of quantum imaging. Here, we demonstrate the capability of an EMCCD camera to record multiple coincidence events originating from parametric downconversion where the mean photon number per pixel is much greater than unity. The multi-pixel nature of the camera enables us to record correlations ranging from to 10 000 coincidences per frame. This approach to quantum measurements provide mechanisms for recording quantum signatures for bright correlated photon sources.
The ability to generate and handle quantum correlations in twin-beam states is the foundation to overcome the imaging limitations imposed by classical light [1], relying on efficient detectors able to select temporal correlations among photons with maximized signal-to-noise ratio. Indeed, quantum information is contained in the interaction with the sample of just two photons, thus losing even one of them or mixing them up with background can completely compromise the experiment. To this end, assessing and evaluating the expected probability of measurement errors is of utmost importance to optimize the detector design. A typical experimental setup of a quantum imaging system based on Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC), the most effective way of producing temporally and spatially correlated entangled photons [2], involves a pump laser hitting a non-linear birefringent crystal producing a down-converted signal, some passive optical components to generate polarization-entangled photons and a pixelated photon detector that eventually reveals the position of coincident entangled photons. The overall detection efficiency of the measurement setup (i.e. heralding efficiency ηH) gathers all its possible losses and non-idealities of the mentioned setup components, namely the crystal conversion efficiency, the optical losses, the detector Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) and fill-factor. In this study, we consider a detection based on a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) array, able to detect coincidences on-chip and with event-driven architecture, which provides fast readout, low power consumption and optimized data throughput. However, related to every on-chip coincidence detection and event-driven based architecture, some operations require a certain amount of time to be performed that, combined with the generation of undesired single photons (both due to limited heralding efficiency and SPAD Dark Count Rate, DCR), yield to three measurement errors, here described with their related probabilities. Firstly, due to the finite duration of the coincidence window ∆tCOINC, there exist a probability Pfalseof wrongly detecting as coincident photons two single photons, and can be expressed as:\begin{equation*}{P_{false}} = \frac{{\left[ {2{\mu _{SOURCE{\text{ }}}}{\eta _H}\left( {1 - {\eta _H}} \right) + {\text{DCR}}} \right]\left( {1 - {e^{ - \left[ {2{\mu _{SOURCE}}{\eta _H}\left( {1 - {\eta _H}} \right) + {\text{DCR}}} \right]\Delta {t_{COINC}}}}} \right)}}{{{\mu _{SOURCE}}\eta _H^2 + \left[ {2{\mu _{SOURCE}}{\eta _H}\left( {1 - {\eta _H}} \right) + DCR} \right]\left( {1 - {e^{ - \left[ {2{\mu _{SOURCE}}{\eta _H}\left( {1 - {\eta _H}} \right) + {\text{DCR}}} \right]\Delta {t_{COINC}}}}} \right)}}\tag{1}\end{equation*}where µSOURCEis the number of photon pairs generated by an ideal non-linear crystal. Secondly, in the time needed for the array to "freeze" the pixels state after a coincidence event (∆tFREEZE) so that they can be readout, there is the probability Pspuriousof detecting a third spurious event after a coincidence has been detected, which is expressed as:\begin{equation*}{P_{spurious}} = 1 - {e^{ - \left[ {2{\mu _{SOURCE\eta }}_H\left( {1 - {\eta _H}} \right) + DCR} \right]\Delta {t_{FREEZE}}}}\tag{2}\end{equation*}
Scalable technologies to characterize the performance of quantum devices are crucial to creating large quantum networks and quantum processing units. Chief among the resources of quantum information processing is entanglement. Here we describe the full temporal and spatial characterization of polarization-entangled photons produced by Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversions using an intensified high-speed optical camera, Tpx3Cam. This novel technique allows for precise determination of Bell inequality parameters with minimal technical overhead, as well as novel characterization methods of the spatial distribution of entangled quantum information. This could lead to multiple applications in Quantum Information Science, opening new perspectives for the scalability of quantum experiments.
Classical light sources emit a randomly-timed stream of individual photons, the spatial distribution of which can be detected with a camera to form an image. Quantum light sources, based on parametric down conversion, emit photons as correlated photon-pairs. The spatial correlations between the photons enables imaging systems where the preferential selection of photon-pairs allows for enhancements in the noise performance over what is possible using classical light sources. However, until now the technical challenge of measuring, and correlating both photons has led to system complexity. Here we show that a camera capable of resolving the number of individual photons in each pixel of the detector array can be used to record an image formed from these photon-pair events and hence achieve a greater contrast than possible using a classical light source. We achieve an enhancement in the ratio of two-photon events compared to one-photon events using spatially correlated SPDC light compared to uncorrelated illumination by a LED. These results indicate the potential advantages of using photon counting cameras in quantum imaging schemes and these advantages will further increase as the technology is developed. Operating in photon sparse regimes such systems have potential applications in low-light microscopy and covert imaging.