Quantum imaging with sub-Poissonian light: challenges and perspectives in optical metrology

Abstract

Non-classical correlations in optical beams offer the unprecedented opportunity of surpassing conventional limits of sensitivity and resolution in optical measurements and imaging, especially but not only, when a low photon flux down to the single photons are measured. We review the principles of quantum imaging and sensing techniques which exploit sub-Poissonian photon statistics and non-classical photon number correlation, presenting some state-of-the-art achievements in the field. These quantum photonics protocols have the potential to trigger major steps in many applications, such as microscopy and biophotonics and represent an important opportunity for a new deal in radiometry and photometry.