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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Quantum Microscopy with NOON States

Yonatan Israel, Shamir Rosen, Yaron R. Silberberg

Published Jun 21, 2015• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Imaging under low light conditions is particularly challenging, due to the effect of noise on the image. Quantum NOON states of light illuminating an object, are shown to enhance the sensitivity of polarization microscopy.

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Abstract As an emerging microscopic detection tool, quantum microscopes based on the principle of quantum precision measurement have attracted widespread attention in recent years. Compared with the imaging of classical light, quantum-enhanced imaging can achieve ultra-high resolution, ultra-sensitive detection, and anti-interference imaging. Here, we introduce a quantum-enhanced scanning microscope under illumination of an entangled NOON state in polarization. For the phase imager with NOON states, we propose a simple four-basis projection method to replace the four-step phase-shifting method. We have achieved the phase imaging of micrometer-sized birefringent samples and biological cell specimens, with sensitivity close to the Heisenberg limit. The visibility of transmittance-based imaging shows a great enhancement for NOON states. Besides, we also demonstrate that the scanning imaging with NOON states enables the spatial resolution enhancement of N compared with classical measurement. Our imaging method may provide some reference for the practical application of quantum imaging and is expected to promote the development of microscopic detection.

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Much of our progress in understanding microscale biology has been powered by advances in microscopy. For instance, super-resolution microscopes allow the observation of biological structures at near-atomic-scale resolution, while multi-photon microscopes allow imaging deep into tissue. However, biological structures and dynamics still often remain out of reach of existing microscopes, with further advances in signal-to-noise, resolution and speed needed to access them. In many cases, the performance of microscopes is now limited by quantum effects – such as noise due to the quantisation of light into photons or, for multi-photon microscopes, the low cross-section of multi-photon scattering. These limitations can be overcome by exploiting features of quantum mechanics such as entanglement. Quantum effects can also provide new ways to enhance the performance of microscopes, such as new super-resolution techniques and new techniques to image at difficult to reach wavelengths. This review provides an overview of these various ways in which quantum techniques can improve microscopy, including recent experimental progress. It seeks to provide a realistic picture of what is possible, and what the constraints and opportunities are.

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Abstract As an emerging microscopic detection tool, quantum microscopes based on the principle of quantum precision measurement have attracted widespread attention in recent years. Compared with the imaging of classical light, quantum-enhanced imaging can achieve ultra-high resolution, ultra-sensitive detection, and anti-interference imaging. Here, we introduce a quantum-enhanced scanning microscope under illumination of an entangled NOON state in polarization. For the phase imager with NOON states, we propose a simple four-basis projection method to replace the four-step phase-shifting method. We have achieved the phase imaging of micrometer-sized birefringent samples and biological cell specimens, with sensitivity close to the Heisenberg limit. The visibility of transmittance-based imaging shows a great enhancement for NOON states. Besides, we also demonstrate that the scanning imaging with NOON states enables the spatial resolution enhancement of N compared with classical measurement. Our imaging method may provide some reference for the practical application of quantum imaging and is expected to promote the development of microscopic detection.
We use entangled photons as the light source in a normal microscope. Using this quantum illumination improves both the resolution and noise rejection in the image. The resolution of any classical imaging system is limited by the diffraction created by the finite size of the imaging lens. By using a light source that emits pairs of entangled photons and carefully controlling a camera that is capable of detecting single photons it is possible to observe these photons arriving two-by-two. Applying camera analysis software to log only these two-by-two events one can form an image from the mid-point (bisector) of each of these pair events. The image formed from the sum of all these bisectors has an improved resolution that surpasses the classical limit. Another advantage of using a quantum illumination is that it allows the two-by-two events from entangled photon pairs to be distinguished from background (classical) light and sensor noise. When processed in this way the resulting image is free of camera noise and any background light may be eliminated. The use of a quantum illumination protocol such as that used here results in the elimination of background light and therefore allows the development of the optical equivalent of quantum radar – a quantum enhanced LIDAR scheme. Using quantum illumination, combined with commercially available cameras that are sensitive to single photons creates a new approach to super-resolution and low noise microscopy. Imaging through noise with quantum illumination, T Gregory, P-A Moreau, E Toninelli, and M J Padgett, Science Advances 6, eaay2652 (2020) Resolution-enhanced quantum imaging by centroid estimation of biphotons, E Toninelli, P-A Moreau, T Gregory, A Mihalyi, M Edgar, N Radwell, and M J Padgett, Optica 6, 347-353 (2019)
Much of our progress in understanding microscale biology has been powered by advances in microscopy. For instance, super-resolution microscopes allow the observation of biological structures at near-atomic-scale resolution, while multi-photon microscopes allow imaging deep into tissue. However, biological structures and dynamics still often remain out of reach of existing microscopes, with further advances in signal-to-noise, resolution and speed needed to access them. In many cases, the performance of microscopes is now limited by quantum effects – such as noise due to the quantisation of light into photons or, for multi-photon microscopes, the low cross-section of multi-photon scattering. These limitations can be overcome by exploiting features of quantum mechanics such as entanglement. Quantum effects can also provide new ways to enhance the performance of microscopes, such as new super-resolution techniques and new techniques to image at difficult to reach wavelengths. This review provides an overview of these various ways in which quantum techniques can improve microscopy, including recent experimental progress. It seeks to provide a realistic picture of what is possible, and what the constraints and opportunities are.
Microscopes are indispensable tools in modern biology and medicine.With the development of microscopy, the signal-tonoise ratio of microscopes is now limited by the shot noise.Recently, quantum-enhanced microscopic imaging provides a feasible approach for improving the signal-to-noise ratio since it can beat the shot-noise limit by using quantum light.In this review, we first briefly introduce quantum states applied in quantum-enhanced microscopic imaging, and then we provide an overview of the principle and progress of quantum-enhanced stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, entangled twophoton microscopy, and quantum-enhanced differential interference contrast microscopy.