Phys.org November 7, 2022 Quantum microscopes for probing material properties and physical processes have relied on quantum defects hosted in rigid, three-dimensional (3D) crystals such as diamond, limiting their ability to closely interface with the sample. An international team of researchers (Australia, China) built a prototype quantum microscope embedding point defects within a thin layer of the van der Waals material hexagonal boron nitride. To show the multi-modal capabilities of this platform, they assembled two different heterostructures of a van der Waals material in combination with a quantum-active boron nitride flake and demonstrated time-resolved, simultaneous temperature and magnetic imaging near […]
Tag Archives: Quantum microscopy
Squeezing the noise out of microscopes with quantum light
Nanowerk February 14, 2022 Quantum microscopy relies on extremely delicate control of light waves. However, its sensitivity is typically limited by optical losses. A team of researchers in the US (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tulane University, MIT, University of Colorado) circumvented the problem with an entangled light called squeezed light, that is, the intensities of the light beams are correlated with each other at the quantum level resulting in noise reduction of up to 3 dB below the standard quantum limit. They minimized the photon backaction noise while taking advantage of quantum noise reduction by transducing the cantilever displacement signal […]
Quantum light squeezes the noise out of microscopy signals
Phys.org September 8, 2020 A team of researchers in the US (Tulane University, MIT, University of Colorado) demonstrated the first practical application of nonlinear interferometry by measuring the displacement of an atomic force microscope microcantilever with quantum noise reduction of up to 3 dB below the standard quantum limit, corresponding to a quantum-enhanced measurement of beam displacement. They minimized photon backaction noise while taking advantage of quantum noise reduction by transducing the cantilever displacement signal with a weak squeezed state while using dual homodyne detection with a higher power local oscillator. This approach may enable quantum-enhanced broadband, high-speed scanning probe […]