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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Recent progresses in quantum imaging real applications

J. Forneris, P. Traina, Ekaterina V. Moreva, A. Tengattini, D. Gatto Monticone, Chiara Enrico Bena, Ivano Ruo Berchera, Alice Meda, Alessio Avella, Ambra Caprile, Alessandro Magni, G. Brida, Ivo Pietro Degiovanni, P. Olivero, Marco Genovese

Published Sep 1, 2015• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present two recent results achieved in INRIM laboratories paving the way for next future commercial use of quantum imaging techniques. The first exploits non-classical photon statistics of single nitrogen-vacancy color centers in diamond for realising super-resolution. A little more in detail we demonstrate that the measurement of high order correlation functions allows overcoming Abbe limit. The second exploits ghost imaging in a specific case of practical interest, i.e. in measuring magnetic structures in garnets.

DOI
10.1117/12.2186546

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ABSTRACT We review our last results in the field of quantum imaging obtained at INRIM Keywords: Quantum Imaging, Entanglement, Quantum Correlations, Sub shot noise measurements 1. INTRODUCTION Quantum properties of the optical field represent a resource of the utmost relevance for the development of quantum technologies, allowing unprecedented results in disciplines ranging from quantum information and metrology to quantum imaging. In particular, in the last case various protocols have been proposed ranging from ghost imaging [1,2], to quantum illumination [3] and sub-shot-noise quantum imaging [4]. Sub-shot-noise measurements with quantum optical states (for example exploiting the quantum correlations of Parametric Down Conversion (PDC) emission) provide the possibility of the detection of weak objects, a task that could have important practical applications. A little more in detail the principle of this technique is to take advantage of the correlation in the noise of two conjugated branches of PDC emission: in fact, s ubtracting the noise measured on one branch from the image of a weak object obtained in the other branch, the image of the object, previously hidden in the noise, could be restored. A schematic implemen tation of this protocol is depicted in Figure 1. On the other hand, ghost imaging technique allows to retrieve information about the object using spatial resolution detector from light (one arm of correlated beams) that does not interact directly with the object, whereas the photons transmitted thr ough (or reflected by) the object are registered by a bucket detector, which does not resolve the shape of the object.
The peculiar properties of quantum optical states represent a new resource for innovative imaging schemes, as sub shot noise imaging or quantum illumination. Here we present in detail two works realized in INRIM. The first involves exploiting entanglement to enhance the imaging of a pure phase object in a non-interferometric setting. This wide-field method, based on the "transport of intensity equation", provides the absolute value of the phase without prior knowledge of the object. It does not require spatial and temporal coherence of the incident light. Besides improving image quality at a fixed number of photons, we demonstrate a clear reduction of the uncertainty in the quantitative phase estimation. This research also paves the way for applications at different wavelengths, e.g., x-ray imaging, where reducing the photon dose is of utmost importance. Then, we demonstrate a novel imaging technique, named Light Field Ghost Imaging, which exploits light correlations and light field imaging principles to enable overcome the limitations of ghost imaging in a wide range of applications. Notably, our technique removes the requirement to have prior knowledge of the object distance allowing us to refocus in post-processing and to perform 3D imaging while retaining all the benefits of GI protocols.
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Properties of quantum light represent a tool for overcoming limits of classical optics. Several experiments have demonstrated this advantage ranging from quantum enhanced imaging to quantum illumination. In this work, experimental demonstration of quantum-enhanced resolution in confocal fluorescence microscopy will be presented. This is achieved by exploiting the non-classical photon statistics of fluorescence emission of single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers in diamond. By developing a general model of super-resolution based on the direct sampling of the kth-order autocorrelation function of the photoluminescence signal, we show the possibility to resolve, in principle, arbitrarily close emitting centers. Finally, possible applications of NV-based fluorescent nanodiamonds in biosensing and future developments will be presented.
Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers in diamond have emerged as a focal point in quantum technology research due to their exceptional optical and electronic spin properties. This discovery not only expands our understanding of the material properties of diamond but also paves the way for practical applications in quantum technology. As a solid-state spin quantum system characterized by long electron spin coherence times and stable performance, NV color centers offer distinct advantages in quantum information processing. Recent advancements have enabled the fabrication of high-quality NV color centers with controllable concentration and spatial positioning through techniques such as in situ doping, ion implantation, and hybrid approaches. These technological breakthroughs have significantly enhanced the efficiency of NV center fabrication, thereby establishing a robust foundation for their widespread application in quantum sensing and quantum information technologies. This review provides a compre­hensive introduction to the structure and fundamental properties of NV color centers in diamond, an in-depth analysis of recent progress in their fabrication techniques, and a critical discussion of their current applications in quantum science and technology. Additionally, the challenges, open questions, and future research directions in NV color center studies are addressed.