Related Data for Thesis/Dissertation: Correlated photon-pair source for quantum infrared metorology

Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is one of the most important analytical techniques available today and it can be claimed as the golden tool for material analysis. The application of this technique is broad and not limited just to chemistry, forensic, manufacturing and quality control; in recent years, it has found applications in biological and life sciences. The FTIR reveals the chemical composition of samples with high spatial resolution. Today’s instruments rely upon and exploit the powerful and well established mathematical strength of Fourier-transformation and computing which improves the quality of infrared spectra and minimising the time required to obtain the data. However, despite the advances in the algorithm and computing power, challenges remain on the low efficiency and high cost of the IR source, detection and optical components. In this thesis, we explorer to use of quantum optics as an alternative technique to overcome the challenges mentioned earlier. We demonstrate the use of a single- photon source as an alternative source for spectroscopy and imaging in the IR regime. Using nonlinear optics creating correlated photon-pairs generated via parametric down-conversion, we demonstrated proof- of principal of constructing a chemical map of a sample with two chemical states and creating a wide-field image of the sample at the same time. The IR spectral map and imaging is obtained by detection in the visible light. This novel technique enables to circumvent the need to use IR components completely and utilise advance and well established visible optic components and technology. With negligible heating and fast readout time, this quantum metrology certainly has great potential for material science, and a place in biological and life science applications, which is our aim.