Beating Abbe diffraction limit in confocal microscopy via non-classical photon statistics

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates quantum-enhanced super-resolution in confocal microscopy by utilizing non-classical photon statistics of nitrogen-vacancy centers, enabling resolution beyond the Abbe diffraction limit.

Contribution

It introduces a general model for super-resolution based on sampling the autocorrelation function, advancing quantum imaging techniques.

Findings

Achieved resolution beyond the classical diffraction limit.

Developed a model for super-resolution using autocorrelation functions.

Demonstrated experimental quantum enhancement in confocal microscopy.

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate quantum enhanced resolution in confocal fluorescence microscopy exploiting the non-classical photon statistics of single nitrogen-vacancy colour centres in diamond. By developing a general model of super-resolution based on the direct sampling of the kth-order autocorrelation function of the photoluminescence signal, we show the possibility, in some cases, to resolve in principle arbitrarily close emitting centers.