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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)

Compact Infrared Imaging Using Undetected Visible Photons with Rapid Analysis

Emma Pearce, Nathan R. Gemmell, Jefferson Flórez, Jiaye Ding, Chris C. Phillips, Rupert F. Oulton, Alex S. Clark

Published Jun 26, 2023• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Infrared (IR) imaging sees a wide range of applications due to its ability to probe molecular vibrations but is limited by detector technology available in this part of the spectrum. Imaging with undetected photons [1] offers an alternative. Using a nonlinear interferometer producing visible-IR photon pairs, transmission and phase information of an object in the IR can be observed by monitoring the interference of visible photons. No IR detection or laser is required. Recently there has been a move towards increasing the technology readiness levels of this approach, considering size, stability, and speed [2–4].

DOI
10.1109/cleo/europe-eqec57999.2023.10232233

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Infrared (IR) imaging sees a wide range of applications due to its ability to probe molecular vibrations but is limited by detector technology available in this part of the spectrum. Imaging with undetected photons [1] offers an alternative. Using a nonlinear interferometer producing visible-IR photon pairs, transmission and phase information of an object in the IR can be observed by monitoring the interference of visible photons. No IR detection or laser is required. Recently there has been a move towards increasing the technology readiness levels of this approach, considering size, stability, and speed [2–4].
Infrared (IR) imaging and spectroscopy is invaluable to many disciplines for its ability to probe molecular responses, from material analysis to diagnostic medicine. However, these applications are often limited by inefficient, noisy detectors. Non-degenerate nonlinear interferometers (NLIs) offer an alternative route through a technique known as imaging with undetected photons [1]. For an NLI producing visible-IR photon pairs, a change in the IR due to an object can be observed as a change to the interference of the visible photons. The IR does not need to be detected, bypassing the need for IR detectors completely.
Infrared (IR) imaging is invaluable across many scientific disciplines, from material analysis to diagnostic medicine. However, applications are often limited by detector cost, resolution and sensitivity, noise caused by the thermal IR background, and the cost, portability and tunability of infrared sources. Here, we describe a compact, portable, and low-cost system that is able to image objects at IR wavelengths without an IR source or IR detector. This imaging with undetected photons (IUP) approach uses quantum interference and correlations between entangled photon pairs to transfer image information from the IR to a wavelength which can be detected with a standard silicon camera. We also demonstrate a rapid analysis approach to acquire both phase and transmission image information. These developments provide an important step towards making IUP a commercially viable technique.
In recent years, nonlinear quantum interferometry has been widely explored for applications like spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, and imaging [1]. Quantum infrared spectroscopy (QIRS) uses quantum interference of generation processes of frequency-entangled visible-IR photon pairs to perform infrared spectroscopy using visible light sources and silicon-based detectors [2]. This technique utilizes a nonlinear quantum interferometer configuration where the generated IR photons pass through the sample, and the correlated visible photons are detected. The change in the detected visible photon flux with and without the sample helps extract the complex transmittance of the sample in the IR region.
Infrared (IR) spectroscopy and imaging are important tools in metrology, including material analysis, sensing and characterization. Although conventional methods of IR metrology are available, they face challenges related to the high cost and low efficiency of IR light sources and photodetectors. These challenges can be addressed by circumventing the need for IR-range components using tools and techniques of quantum optics. In this thesis, we describe a technique for IR measurements, which requires using only accessible light sources and detectors operating in the visible range. Our technique is based on the nonlinear interference of correlated photon pairs generated via spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC). In SPDC, a photon from the pump laser generates a pair of correlated photons within a nonlinear crystal. One photon of the pair can be generated in the visible range, and the other in the IR range. Two identical nonlinear crystals pumped by the same laser form the nonlinear interferometer, where interference of the visible SPDC photons can be observed. The interference pattern of the visible photons depends on amplitudes and phases of the IR photons, which are used to probe the properties of the medium under study. Hence, by observing the interference of the visible photons we infer the IR properties of the media, without direct measurements of IR light. We applied the nonlinear interference method to realize the IR spectroscopy, IR optical coherence tomography (OCT), IR imaging and IR polarimetry. In the IR spectroscopy experiment, we simultaneously and independently measured both refractive index and absorption coefficient of various samples in the IR range, while only detecting photons in the visible range. In IR OCT and IR imaging schemes, we measured the reflectivity of the interfaces of the sample, performed 3D raster and wide field imaging through opaque (in the visible range) materials. In the IR polarimetry, we measured the birefringence of the samples. We studied glass, organic polymer, Silicon and CO2 gas, but our method can be applied to a broad variety of samples. Our method is widely tunable and has high precision and accuracy over mid-IR wavelengths. This work paves the way for further practical adoption of the method in the field of IR metrology, without the need for IR grade detectors and sources.
Infrared (IR) sensing has a significant potential in applications ranging from cellular imaging to environmental sciences [1]. A primary challenge in the field has been the lack of efficient IR detectors. Quantum imaging with undetected light (QIUL) [2] is a new powerful imaging tool. QIUL relies on the nonlinear interferometry, using induced coherence [3], which allows the spectral separation of sensing and detection, facilitating imaging in hard-to-access spectral regions like ultraviolet or IR. These spectral regions contain relevant information for the identification of protein, lipid, and nucleic acid content [1], [4]. The core of our work involves the design, construction, and characterization of a quantum light engine tailored for scanning microscopy with undetected light, presenting a ready-to-use implementation of a ground-breaking approach to overcome the limitations of traditional IR sensing technologies while using low illumination regime.