Quantum-enhanced continuous-wave stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopy
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Stimulated Raman spectroscopy has become a powerful tool to study the spatiodynamics of molecular bonds with high sensitivity, resolution, and speed. However, the sensitivity and speed of state-of-the-art stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopy are currently limited by the shot-noise of the light beam probing the Raman process. Here, we demonstrate in a proof-of-principle experiment an enhancement of the sensitivity of continuous-wave stimulated Raman spectroscopy by reducing the quantum noise of the probing light below the shot-noise limit by means of amplitude squeezed states of light. Probing polymer samples with Raman shifts around 2950 c m − 1 with squeezed states, we demonstrate a quantum enhancement of the stimulated Raman signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 3.60 dB relative to the shot-noise limited SNR. Our proof-of-concept demonstration of quantum-enhanced continuous-wave Raman spectroscopy paves the way for more elaborate demonstrations using state-of-the-art stimulated Raman scattering microscopes, and thus constitutes the very first step towards a new generation of Raman microscopes, where weak Raman transitions can be imaged without the use of markers or an increase in the total optical power.
Source: Optica
Authors: Rayssa B. de Andrade, Hugo Kerdoncuff, Kirstine Berg-Sørensen, Tobias Gehring, Mikael Lassen, Ulrik L. Andersen
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,208
OpenAlex ID: W3016924912