Quantum imaging leverages nonclassical correlations to reveal features that may vanish in conventional event integration [ 1, 2]. While single-photon detectors are well-established, quantum imaging demands complex data acquisition across many thousands of detectors, each generating rich metadata including triggering time, duration, and other properties. Consequently, effective data management, data wrangling, and correlation extraction become critical challenges.
In this work, we investigate optimal handling of spatial correlations from a quantum-photonic source (spontaneous parametric down-conversion, SPDC) using an emerging single-photon event-based camera, the TPX3CAM (256×256 array, supported by an intensifier). Utilizing a femtosecond photon-pair source, we comprehensively analyse noise characteristics, including temporal dynamics and spatial distribution, to develop advanced spatio-temporal noise suppression strategies tailored to camera performance. Our primary objectives include real-time isolation and preprocessing of correlative data.
Our analysis demonstrates the potential of these real-time correlation detection and noise reduction algorithms to expand quantum imaging capabilities across diverse scientific domains. Potential applications include high-resolution spectroscopy in biology, materials science, and advanced electron microscopy, where these techniques could enable identification of cascaded two-photon processes with atomic-scale precision.
Figure 1 shows an excellent example of such a detection in real-space. The ring feature corresponds to the location of the correlated photon-pairs produced from the SPDC process. This is also apparent in figure 2, where we see a strong anti-correlation between the coordinates of the detected photons – corresponding to photon-pairs.
Figure 1:
Distribution of SPDC photons on TPX3CAM
Figure 2:
Spatial anti-correlation of x-coordinates