Quantifying the advantage of quantum correlation microscopy using arrays of single-photon detectors

TL;DR

This paper investigates how arrays of single-photon detectors enhance quantum correlation microscopy, revealing regimes where fewer detectors measuring quantum correlations outperform larger photon-counting arrays in localizing emitters.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative comparison between detector array configurations, demonstrating the advantage of quantum correlation measurements over classical photon counting in specific regimes.

Findings

Quantum correlation microscopy benefits from using fewer detectors measuring correlations.

Regimes identified where $N/2$ Hanbury Brown and Twiss detectors outperform $N$ photon counting detectors.

The advantage depends on emitter position and photon sampling.

Abstract

Quantum correlation microscopy is an emerging technique for improving optical resolution. By taking advantage of the quantum statistics from single-photon fluorophores, more information about the emitters (including number and location) is obtained compared with classical microscopy. Although it is known that the resolution can be improved by increasing detector numbers, as well as using quantum correlation, the quantitative relationship between these two approaches is not immediately clear. Here we explore widefield quantum correlation microscopy using arrays of single-photon detectors. We explicitly compare the use of $N$ detectors used in photon counting mode vs $N/2$ detectors used to measure quantum correlations. i.e., where there are $N/2$ Hanbury Brown and Twiss systems, using the same $N$ detectors, on randomly generated two-emitter systems. We find regimes where $N/2$ Hanbury Brown and Twiss detectors provide improved localisation compared to $N$ photon counting detectors, as a function of emitter position and number of photons sampled.