We report results of quantum holography where spatial information stored in phase hologram is retrieved by measuring spatial coincidences between two images formed by spatially entangled twin photons of high-dimensionality transmitted by the hologram.
We report the results of two-photon quantum holography where spatial information stored in phase holograms is retrieved by measuring quantum spatial correlations between two images formed by spatially entangled twin photons with a Schmidt number of 450 in the two-dimensional transverse space. In our experiments, the entire flux of spontaneous down-converted photons illuminates the phase holograms and the photons of signal-idler pairs transmitted by the holograms are detected separately in the far field on two electron-multiplying charge coupled device cameras.
The retrieval of the phase with single-photon states is a fundamentally and technically challenging endeavor. Here we report an experimental realization of hologram recordings with heralded single-photon illumination and continuous observation of photon statistics. Thereby, we demonstrate the basic principle of holography with single-photon states which cannot be described with the classical wave theory. Under conditions with illumination more than 200 times weaker than the noise of the detector, a hologram (interferogram) recorded with a heralded single-photon source revealed an object not visible with nonheralded illumination and slightly higher intensity. The dramatic improvement in retrieval of amplitude and phase information achieved with the heralded single-photon source can be explained by the strong suppression of noise due to the nonclassical temporal correlation between twin photons and the small coincidence time window. The method could be useful for recording and retrieving amplitude and phase information in the presence of strong noise, for covert imaging, and for imaging of photosensitive biological and material samples.
Quantum imaging usually refers to imaging that takes advantage of quantum entanglement to obtain results beyond the classically achievable limits [1]. Various complex experimental setups are used to obtain quantum images, and even more complex experimental setups are used when the goal is to record and retrieve the phase information of the object. Classical holography offers the possibility to record and retrieve phase information from a hologram [2]. However, in low-light conditions, a major challenge is to record images with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Classical schemes [3]–[5], of course, do not aim to demonstrate the quantum properties of the experiments, and quantum schemes [6]–[8] rely on complex preparation of the light beam and do not necessarily provide an advantage for holographic imaging. To date, no simple quantum scheme with quantum advantage has been developed for low-light holographic imaging.
Holography exploits the interference of a light field reflected/transmitted from an object with a reference beam to obtain a reconstruction of the spatial shape of the object. Classical holography techniques have been very successful in diverse areas such as microscopy, manufacturing technology, and basic science. However, detection constraints for wavelengths outside the visible range restrict the applications for imaging and sensing in general. For overcoming these detection limitations, we implement phase-shifting holography with nonclassical states of light, where we exploit quantum interference between two-photon probability amplitudes in a nonlinear interferometer. We demonstrate that it allows retrieving the spatial shape (amplitude and phase) of the photons transmitted/reflected from the object and thus obtaining an image of the object despite those photons are never detected. Moreover, there is no need to use a well-characterized reference beam, since the two-photon scheme already makes use of one of the photons as reference for holography.
Quantum holography exploits quantum correlation in entangled photon pairs to enhance holography. An inherent principle of holography is that each partial hologram can enhance the reconstruction of the entire object, a property that has not yet been explored in the quantum realm. The current fabrication technology for single-photon detectors is limited, making it extremely challenging to manufacture large-area detectors. Since resolution is directly related to the system aperture, achieving a resolution equivalent to that of a large-area detector under the constraint of a limited detection area is a key challenge for realizing high-resolution quantum holography. Here we demonstrate that the spatial correlations of entangled photons can extract crucial additional information from photon wave packets beyond the boundaries of the experimentally recorded region, where the photons have no direct interaction with the object. We validate the approach experimentally and benchmark it against the approach using only the detection area, achieving the advancements with an increase of up to 15 dB in signal-to-noise ratio and up to approximately tenfold improvement in structural similarity. We show the versatility of the approach by demonstrating significantly improved performance across various objects, including quantum holography of complex biological specimens. This work can advance the nascent field of quantum holography and accelerate its application in life sciences and biological systems.