Quantum Sensing with Correlated Light Sources

Sources of correlated photon pairs have become a valuable resource for imaging, sensing and spectroscopy with recent developments enabled by new advancements in laser technology and nonlinear optics. These sources are commonly based on spontaneous parametric processes in nonlinear media such as Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC) or Four Wave Mixing (SFWM). At a rudimentary level, photon correlations mitigate noise, enabling sensing and imaging of fragile samples at very low photon flux. Photon pairs also link diverse spectral ranges, which are limited only by phase matching and the transparency windows of nonlinear materials. At its most powerful, nonlinear interferometry utilises correlated photon pairs to “sense with essentially undetected photons”. Such interferometers can be sensitive to samples active in the infrared spectrum but using detectors that respond only to visible photons.

Topics covered include, but are not limited to:

Guest Editors

Rupert Oulton, Imperial College London

Alex Clark, Imperial College London

Maria Chekhova, Max Planck Institute, Erlangen

Jonathan Matthews, Bristol University

John Rarity, Bristol University