Interference has long been used for precision measurement of path-length changes. Since the advent of the laser, interference has become one of the most versatile tools in metrology. Specifically, ultra-short laser pulses allow unprecedented resolution in absolute length measurements. While ultra-short laser pulses lead to high resolution, for example in white-light interferometry, they are very susceptible to dispersion. \n \nQuantum resources have been proposed to overcome some of the problems related to distortions in the interferometric signal. For example, the Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interferometer relies on frequency-entangled photon pairs and features automatic even-order dispersion cancellation and high interference visibility resilient to unbalanced loss. Quantum-OCT is a technique based on HOM interferometry, that promises to overcome Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) a classical imaging technique based on low coherence light. Furthermore, straightforward modifications of the HOM interferometer can display several different interferometric signals, including the HOM peak, quantum beating, and phase super-resolution. However, the quantum resources required are hard to produce and dim, leading to long integration times and single-photon counting. \n \nIn this thesis, we introduce the theory behind Chirped-Pulse Interferometry (CPI), a new technique that combines all the advantages of Q-OCT, including even-order dispersion cancellation, but without the need for any quantum resources. We then experimentally implement CPI and demonstrate all the important characteristics shared by the HOM interferometer, but at dramatically larger signal levels. We show how CPI can be used to measure dispersion cancelled axial profiles of an optical sample and show the improvement in resolution over white-light interferometry. Finally, we show that by modifying CPI in analogous ways to HOM, CPI can also be made to produce interferometric signal identical to the HOM peak, quantum beating, and phase super-resolution.Interference has long been used for precision measurement of path-length changes. Since the advent of the laser, interference has become one of the most versatile tools in metrology. Specifically, ultra-short laser pulses allow unprecedented resolution in absolute length measurements. While ultra-short laser pulses lead to high resolution, for example in white-light interferometry, they are very susceptible to dispersion. \n \nQuantum resources have been proposed to overcome some of the problems related to distortions in the interferometric signal. For example, the Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interferometer relies on frequency-entangled photon pairs and features automatic even-order dispersion cancellation and high interference visibility resilient to unbalanced loss. Quantum-OCT is a technique based on HOM interferometry, that promises to overcome Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) a classical imaging technique based on low coherence light. Furthermore, straightforward modifications of the HOM interferometer can display several different interferometric signals, including the HOM peak, quantum beating, and phase super-resolution. However, the quantum resources required are hard to produce and dim, leading to long integration times and single-photon counting. \n \nIn this thesis, we introduce the theory behind Chirped-Pulse Interferometry (CPI), a new technique that combines all the advantages of Q-OCT, including even-order dispersion cancellation, but without the need for any quantum resources. We then experimentally implement CPI and demonstrate all the important characteristics shared by the HOM interferometer, but at dramatically larger signal levels. We show how CPI can be used to measure dispersion cancelled axial profiles of an optical sample and show the improvement in resolution over white-light interferometry. Finally, we show that by modifying CPI in analogous ways to HOM, CPI can also be made to produce interferometric signal identical to the HOM peak, quantum beating, and phase super-resolution.

Oct 9, 20090 citations

Principles of Interferometry

Peter Hawkes, Erwin K. Kasper

Elsevier eBooksJan 1, 19942 citations

The Resolving Power of Interferometers

Hantaro Nagaoka

Proceedings of the Tokyo Mathematico-Physical Society. 2nd SeriesOct 11, 19150 citations

Enhanced-resolution chirped-pulse interferometry

M. M. Bérubé, Michael D. Mazurek, Kevin J. Resch

Chirped-pulse interferometry (CPI) is a classical low-coherence interferometry technique with automatic dispersion cancellation and improved resolution over white-light interference. Previous work showed that CPI with linearly chirped Gaussian laser pulses achieves a $\sqrt{2}$ improvement in resolution over conventional white-light interferometry, but this is less than the factor of 2 improvement exhibited by a comparable quantum technique. In this work, we show how a particular class of nonlinearly chirped laser pulses can meet, and even exceed, the factor of 2 improvement in resolution. This enhanced-resolution CPI removes the resolution advantage of quantum interferometers in dispersion-cancelled interferometry.Chirped-pulse interferometry (CPI) is a classical low-coherence interferometry technique with automatic dispersion cancellation and improved resolution over white-light interference. Previous work showed that CPI with linearly chirped Gaussian laser pulses achieves a $\sqrt{2}$ improvement in resolution over conventional white-light interferometry, but this is less than the factor of 2 improvement exhibited by a comparable quantum technique. In this work, we show how a particular class of nonlinearly chirped laser pulses can meet, and even exceed, the factor of 2 improvement in resolution. This enhanced-resolution CPI removes the resolution advantage of quantum interferometers in dispersion-cancelled interferometry.

arXiv:2505.04901Physical Review AAug 7, 20251 citation

Dispersion interferometry of spectral resonances

Sergei A Babin, Vladimir P. Drachev, Sergey V. Perminov +1 more

European Quantum Electronics Conference (EQEC)Aug 24, 20050 citations

\sqrt{2}

improvement in resolution over conventional white-light interferometry, but this is less than the factor of 2 improvement exhibited by a comparable quantum technique. In this work, we show how a particular class of nonlinearly chirped laser pulses can meet, and even exceed, the factor of 2 improvement in resolution. This enhanced-resolution CPI removes the resolution advantage of quantum interferometers in dispersion-cancelled interferometry.