Sub-μm axial precision depth imaging with entangled two-colour Hong-Ou-Mandel microscopy

Abstract: The quantum interference of two wavelength-entangled photons overlapping at a beamsplitter results in an oscillating interference pattern. The frequency of the beat note is dependent on the wavelength separation of the entangled photons but is robust to wavelength scale perturbations that can limit the practicality of standard interferometry. Here we use two-colour entanglement interferometry to evaluate the variation in thickness of a semi-transparent sample in combination with two-dimensional raster scanning. The axial precision and the dynamic range of the microscope are actively controlled by adjusting the wavelength separation of the entangled photon pairs. Sub-$\mu m$ precision is reported using up to $12.3~nm$ of detuning and $\sim10^4$ detected photon pairs.