Near single-photon imaging in the shortwave infrared using homodyne detection

Wolley O, Mekhail S, Moreau PA, Gregory T, Gibson G, Leuchs G, Padgett MJ (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America National Academy of Sciences

Book Volume: 120

Pages Range: e2216678120

Journal Issue: 10

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216678120

Abstract

Low-light imaging is challenging in regimes where low-noise detectors are not yet available. One such regime is the shortwave infrared where even the best multipixel detector arrays typically have a noise floor in excess of 100 photons per pixel per frame. We present a homodyne imaging system capable of recovering both intensity and phase images of an object from a single frame despite an illumination intensity of ≈​1 photon per pixel. We interfere this weak signal which is below the noise floor of the detector with a reference beam that is ∼​300, 000 times brighter, record the resulting interference pattern in the spatial domain on a detector array, and use Fourier techniques to extract the intensity and phase images. We believe our approach could vastly extend the range of applications for low-light imaging by accessing domains where low-noise cameras are not currently available and for which low-intensity illumination is required.

Authors with CRIS profile

Gerhard Leuchs

Involved external institutions

University of Glasgow GB United Kingdom (GB) National Cheng Kung University TW Taiwan (TW) Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts (MPL) / Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Wolley, O., Mekhail, S., Moreau, P.A., Gregory, T., Gibson, G., Leuchs, G., & Padgett, M.J. (2023). Near single-photon imaging in the shortwave infrared using homodyne detection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120(10), e2216678120. https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2216678120

MLA:

Wolley, O., et al. "Near single-photon imaging in the shortwave infrared using homodyne detection." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 120.10 (2023): e2216678120.

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