Abstract
A balanced SPR sensor utilizing intensity squeezed states to resolve signals below the shot-noise-limit is demonstrated. At the inflection point, this sensor demonstrates 2.5 dB greater sensitivity than the best comparable classical sensor.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | FF1C.7 |
| Journal | Optics InfoBase Conference Papers |
| State | Published - 2016 |
| Event | CLEO: QELS_Fundamental Science, QELS 2016 - San Jose, United States Duration: Jun 5 2016 → Jun 10 2016 |
Funding
This work was performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, operated by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy. The authors B.L. and R.P. recognize support from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program. The gold films were grown at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. probe field was used as the signal. A spectrum analyzer was used to record the modulation amplitude and the noise floor simultaneously as the incidence angle was swept. The raw spectra associated with the data points marked b) and c) in Fig. 2a are shown in Figs. 2b and 2c. In each case, the SNL is indicated by the red line above the measured noise floor, indicating 4.5 dB of squeezing in Fig. 2b and 2.5 dB of squeezing in Fig. 2c. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2d, squeezing was shown at all angles, even when >90% of the probe field was attenuated by the SPR sensor. Because it has been previously shown that SPR sensors can be operated at the inflection point of the absorption curve in order to enable real-time biochemical sensing without loss of sensitivity, it is possible to maintain 2.5 dB of quantum noise reduction for a real-time quantum enhanced biochemical sensing platform. The optical power in the probe field is consistent with the powers typically used in SPR sensing platforms, but the power could be further increased while maintaining quantum noise reduction if thermoplasmonic effects could be mitigated. This work was performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, operated by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy. The authors B.L. and R.P. recognize support from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program. The gold films were grown at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility.