Exploiting PDC spatial correlations for innovative quantum imaging protocols

Quantum properties of the optical field represent a resource of the utmost relevance for the development of quantum technologies, allowing unprecedented results in disciplines ranging from quantum information and metrology to quantum imaging. Spatial quantum correlations generated by of parametric down conversion (PDC) represents a tool for quantum imaging because they are intrinsically multimode, a requirement for obtaining large degree of correlation over small portions of the beams, allowing to register the spatial structure of an object. In particular a very interesting example is provided by the detection of weak objects, a result that could have important practical applications. The principle of this technique is to take advantage of the correlation in the noise of two conjugated branches of PDC emission: in fact, subtracting the noise measured on one branch from the image of a weak object obtained in the other branch, the image of the object, eventually previously hidden in the noise, could be restored. Here, after a general summary of quantum imaging techniques, firstly we will show how we have reached a sub shot noise regime and then improved this result up to reach a regime where it was possible to achieve the first experimental realisation of sub shot noise imaging of a weak absorbing object.

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