Quantum-Enhanced Plasmonic Sensing

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a quantum-enhanced plasmonic sensor using entangled twin beams, achieving a 56% sensitivity improvement over classical sensors, with potential applications in biomedical and chemical detection.

Contribution

It introduces the use of bright entangled twin beams to significantly enhance plasmonic sensor sensitivity beyond classical limits.

Findings

Achieved 56% quantum enhancement in sensitivity.

Measured sensitivities around $10^{-10}$RIU$/ oot{Hz}$.

Nearly 5 orders of magnitude improvement over previous quantum plasmonic sensors.

Abstract

Quantum resources can enhance the sensitivity of a device beyond the classical shot noise limit and, as a result, revolutionize the field of metrology through the development of quantum-enhanced sensors. In particular, plasmonic sensors, which are widely used in biological and chemical sensing applications, offer a unique opportunity to bring such an enhancement to real-life devices. Here, we use bright entangled twin beams to enhance the sensitivity of a plasmonic sensor used to measure local changes in refractive index. We demonstrate a 56% quantum enhancement in the sensitivity of state-of-the-art plasmonic sensor with measured sensitivities on the order of $10^{-10}$RIU$/\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$, nearly 5 orders of magnitude better than previous proof-of-principle implementations of quantum-enhanced plasmonic sensors. These results promise significant enhancements in ultratrace label free plasmonic sensing and will find their way into areas ranging from biomedical applications to chemical detection.