Coincidence Detection Of Photons Research Articles

A double photon coincidence detection method for medical gamma-ray imaging

Abstract Cascade nuclides emit two or more gamma rays successively through an intermediate state. The coincidence detection of cascade gamma rays provides several advantages in gamma-ray imaging. In this review article, three applications of the double photon coincidence method are reviewed. Double-photon emission imaging with mechanical collimators and Compton double-photon emission imaging can identify radioactive source positions with their angular-resolving detectors, and reduce the crosstalk between nuclides. In addition, a novel method of coincidence Compton imaging is proposed by taking coincidence detection between a Compton event and a photopeak events. Although this type of coincidence Compton imaging cannot specify the location, it can be useful in multi-nuclide Compton imaging.

Double photon coincidence crosstalk reduction method for multi-nuclide Compton imaging

Compton imaging based on Compton scattering kinematics has the potential to visualize multi-nuclides by discriminating the total energy of Compton scattering and photoelectric absorption events. This feature enables us to perform multi-tracer imaging that reflects different functional information in nuclear medicine, resulting in a definitive diagnosis and being useful for biological and medical research. One of the challenges with multi-nuclide imaging is the crosstalk artifacts caused by scattered photons of higher energy gamma-rays. In this study, we investigated the potential benefits of the double photon coincidence detection as a drastic crosstalk reduction method. Coincidence detection of successive gamma-rays can differentiate nuclides and reduce the background caused by other nuclides' gamma-rays because some nuclides emit two or more gamma-rays in rapid succession. In this study, we focused on the coincidence detection of a Compton event and a photoelectric absorption event, and we showed simultaneous double photon emitter imaging of 111In and 177Lu with a ring-type Compton imaging system. The artifacts caused by other nuclides' gamma-rays were reduced by extracting Compton events coincident with photoelectric absorption events. The coincidence Compton images demonstrated a signal-to-background ratio improvement of 1.1–1.7 times over the one of no-coincidence Compton images, despite a drop in intrinsic detection efficiency of the order of 10-2. This strategy of directly reducing crosstalk will be useful in other combinations imaging such as of 111In (or 177Lu) and a positron emission tomography nuclide.

Imaging and sensing of pH and chemical state with nuclear-spin-correlated cascade gamma rays via radioactive tracer

Single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron-emission tomography (PET) are highly sensitive molecular detection and imaging techniques that generally measure accumulation of radio-labeled molecules by detecting gamma rays. Quantum sensing of local molecular environment via spin, such as nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers, has also been reported. Here, we describe quantum sensing and imaging using nuclear-spin time-space correlated cascade gamma-rays via a radioactive tracer. Indium-111 (111In) is widely used in SPECT to detect accumulation using a single gamma-ray photon. The time-space distribution of two successive cascade gamma-rays emitted from an 111In atom carries significant information on the chemical and physical state surrounding molecules with double photon coincidence detection. We propose and demonstrate quantum sensing capability of local micro-environment (pH and chelating molecule) in solution along with radioactive tracer accumulation imaging, by using multiple gamma-rays time-and-energy detection. Local molecular environment is extracted through electric quadrupole hyperfine interaction in the intermediate nuclear spin state by the explicit distribution of sub-MeV gamma rays. This work demonstrates a proof of concept, and further work is necessary to increase the sensitivity of the technique for in vivo imaging and to study the effect of scattered radiation for possible application in nuclear medicine.

Optimisation of monolithic nanocomposite and transparent ceramic scintillation detectors for positron emission tomography

High-resolution arrays of discrete monocrystalline scintillators used for gamma photon coincidence detection in PET are costly and complex to fabricate, and exhibit intrinsically non-uniform sensitivity with respect to emission angle. Nanocomposites and transparent ceramics are two alternative classes of scintillator materials which can be formed into large monolithic structures, and which, when coupled to optical photodetector arrays, may offer a pathway to low cost, high-sensitivity, high-resolution PET. However, due to their high optical attenuation and scattering relative to monocrystalline scintillators, these materials exhibit an inherent trade-off between detection sensitivity and the number of scintillation photons which reach the optical photodetectors. In this work, a method for optimising scintillator thickness to maximise the probability of locating the point of interaction of 511 keV photons in a monolithic scintillator within a specified error bound is proposed and evaluated for five nanocomposite materials (LaBr3:Ce-polystyrene, Gd2O3-polyvinyl toluene, LaF3:Ce-polystyrene, LaF3:Ce-oleic acid and YAG:Ce-polystyrene) and four ceramics (GAGG:Ce, GLuGAG:Ce, GYGAG:Ce and LuAG:Pr). LaF3:Ce-polystyrene and GLuGAG:Ce were the best-performing nanocomposite and ceramic materials, respectively, with maximum sensitivities of 48.8% and 67.8% for 5 mm localisation accuracy with scintillator thicknesses of 42.6 mm and 27.5 mm, respectively.

Background Light Rejection in SPAD-Based LiDAR Sensors by Adaptive Photon Coincidence Detection.

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems based on silicon single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) offer several advantages, like the fabrication of system-on-chips with a co-integrated detector and dedicated electronics, as well as low cost and high durability due to well-established CMOS technology. On the other hand, silicon-based detectors suffer from high background light in outdoor applications, like advanced driver assistance systems or autonomous driving, due to the limited wavelength range in the infrared spectrum. In this paper we present a novel method based on the adaptive adjustment of photon coincidence detection to suppress the background light and simultaneously improve the dynamic range. A major disadvantage of fixed parameter coincidence detection is the increased dynamic range of the resulting event rate, allowing good measurement performance only at a specific target reflectance. To overcome this limitation we have implemented adaptive photon coincidence detection. In this technique the parameters of the photon coincidence detection are adjusted to the actual measured background light intensity, giving a reduction of the event rate dynamic range and allowing the perception of high dynamic scenes. We present a 192 × 2 pixel CMOS SPAD-based LiDAR sensor utilizing this technique and accompanying outdoor measurements showing the capability of it. In this sensor adaptive photon coincidence detection improves the dynamic range of the measureable target reflectance by over 40 dB.

A scalable multi-photon coincidence detector based on superconducting nanowires.

Coincidence detection of single photons is crucial in numerous quantum technologies and usually requires multiple time-resolved single-photon detectors. However, the electronic readout becomes a major challenge when the measurement basis scales to large numbers of spatial modes. Here, we address this problem by introducing a two-terminal coincidence detector that enables scalable readout of an array of detector segments based on superconducting nanowire microstrip transmission line. Exploiting timing logic, we demonstrate a sixteen-element detector that resolves all 136 possible single-photon and two-photon coincidence events. We further explore the pulse shapes of the detector output and resolve up to four-photon events in a four-element device, giving the detector photon-number-resolving capability. This new detector architecture and operating scheme will be particularly useful for multi-photon coincidence detection in large-scale photonic integrated circuits.

Detection of tokamak plasma positrons using annihilation photons

A massive amount of positrons (plasma positrons), produced by the collision between runaway electrons and nuclei during fusion plasma disruption, was first predicted theoretically in 2003. To help confirm this prediction, we report here the design of an experimental system to detect tokamak plasma positrons. Because a substantial amount of positrons (material positrons) are produced when runaway electrons impact plasma-facing materials, we proposed maximizing the ratio of plasma to material positrons by inserting a thin carbon target at the plasma edge as a plasma positron bombing target and producing a plasma disruption scenario triggered by massive gas injection. Meanwhile, the coincidence detection of positron annihilation photons was used to filter out the noise of annihilation photons from locations other than the carbon target and that of bremsstrahlung photons near 511keV. According to our simulation, the overall signal-to-noise ratio should be more than 10:1.

Hong-Ou-Mandel Interference between Two Deterministic Collective Excitations in an Atomic Ensemble.

We demonstrate deterministic generation of two distinct collective excitations in one atomic ensemble, and we realize the Hong-Ou-Mandel interference between them. Using Rydberg blockade we create single collective excitations in two different Zeeman levels, and we use stimulated Raman transitions to perform a beam-splitter operation between the excited atomic modes. By converting the atomic excitations into photons, the two-excitation interference is measured by photon coincidence detection with a visibility of 0.89(6). The Hong-Ou-Mandel interference witnesses an entangled NOON state of the collective atomic excitations, and we demonstrate its two times enhanced sensitivity to a magnetic field compared with a single excitation. Our work implements a minimal instance of boson sampling and paves the way for further multimode and multiexcitation studies with collective excitations of atomic ensembles.

Integrated quantum photonic sensor based on Hong-Ou-Mandel interference.

Photonic-crystal-based integrated optical systems have been used for a broad range of sensing applications with great success. This has been motivated by several advantages such as high sensitivity, miniaturization, remote sensing, selectivity and stability. Many photonic crystal sensors have been proposed with various fabrication designs that result in improved optical properties. In parallel, integrated optical systems are being pursued as a platform for photonic quantum information processing using linear optics and Fock states. Here we propose a novel integrated Fock state optical sensor architecture that can be used for force, refractive index and possibly local temperature detection. In this scheme, two coupled cavities behave as an "effective beam splitter". The sensor works based on fourth order interference (the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect) and requires a sequence of single photon pulses and consequently has low pulse power. Changes in the parameter to be measured induce variations in the effective beam splitter reflectivity and result in changes to the visibility of interference. We demonstrate this generic scheme in coupled L3 photonic crystal cavities as an example and find that this system, which only relies on photon coincidence detection and does not need any spectral resolution, can estimate forces as small as 10(-7) Newtons and can measure one part per million change in refractive index using a very low input power of 10(-10)W. Thus linear optical quantum photonic architectures can achieve comparable sensor performance to semiclassical devices.

Spalax™ new generation: A sensitive and selective noble gas system for nuclear explosion monitoring

In the context of the verification regime of the Comprehensive nuclear Test ban Treaty (CTBT), CEA is developing a new generation (NG) of SPALAX™ system for atmospheric radioxenon monitoring. These systems are able to extract more than 6cm3 of pure xenon from air samples each 12h and to measure the four relevant xenon radioactive isotopes using a high resolution detection system operating in electron–photon coincidence mode. This paper presents the performances of the SPALAX™ NG prototype in operation at Bruyères-le-Châtel CEA centre, integrating the most recent CEA developments. It especially focuses on an innovative detection system made up of a gas cell equipped with two face-to-face silicon detectors associated to one or two germanium detectors. Minimum Detectable activity Concentrations (MDCs) of environmental samples were calculated to be approximately 0.1mBq/m3 for the isotopes 131mXe, 133mXe, 133Xe and 0.4mBq/m3 for 135Xe (single germanium configuration). The detection system might be used to simultaneously measure particulate and noble gas samples from the CTBT International Monitoring System (IMS). That possibility could lead to new capacities for particulate measurements by allowing electron–photon coincidence detection of certain fission products.

An iron-mimicking, Trojan horse-entering fungi--has the time come for molecular imaging of fungal infections?

Despite recent advancements in the diagnosis and management of fungal infections [1], invasive fungal diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients and are major drivers of elevated healthcare costs [2]. In this context, early diagnosis is a key factor. However, current diagnostic approaches, including laboratory tests and computer tomography, have limitations, especially in terms of sensitivity and specificity [3]. Therefore, empirical therapy has often evolved as the standard of care, irrespective of the immediate and long-term consequences in terms of cost, development of drug resistance, or toxicity [4]. An exceptional challenge is the development of imaging modalities providing not only high specificity and sensitivity but also localization of the infection site. In particular, nuclear medicine imaging techniques using radiolabelled probes (radiotracers) have the potential to specifically target the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the pathogen leading to molecular localization of the infection site in patients. Traditionally applied in the context of planar scintigraphy and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) in the past decade, Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) has evolved as a major clinical imaging technique, particularly in oncology [5]. This technology provides improved sensitivity and resolution based on the coincidence detection of photons emitted from radionuclei resulting from annihilation of positrons. Its tremendous success in oncology is mainly based on 2-[18F] fluorodeoxyglucose specifically accumulating in cells in dependence of their glucose consumption [6]. In this process, termed “molecular trapping,” the radiolabelled glucose molecule is actively transported into the cell, followed by its phosphorylation. The incorporated Fluor blocks further metabolic processing and traps the radionuclide 18F inside the cell, leading to an intense radioactive signal in affected cells. Other clinically used PET probes, such as [18F]-3′-fluoro-3′-deoxy-L-thymidine, [18F]-choline derivatives, or radiolabelled peptides, such as 68Ga-DOTATOC, show a similar trapping mechanism based on initial active transport in, or receptor-specific recognition by, diseased cells with promising clinical applications in oncology [7]. Besides accumulation in the target, favorable pharmacokinetics of radiotracers, such as rapid transport to and low retention in non-target sites/cells as well as efficient elimination from the body, ideally via renal excretion, are required. These features allow early imaging with short-lived radionuclides such as 18F with a half-life of 110 minutes, resulting in a low radiation burden for the patient. Therefore, a radiotracer for specific imaging of fungal infections should ideally fulfill similar criteria: specific accumulation in the pathogen combined with favorable pharmacokinetics, including rapid elimination from healthy tissue. Ideally, the pathogen should recognize the radiotracer as an apparent molecule of interest, boosting its active uptake and accumulation.

Super sub-wavelength patterns in photon coincidence detection

High-precision measurements implemented with light are desired in all fields of science. However, light acts as a wave, and the Rayleigh criterion in classical optics yields a diffraction limit that prevents obtaining a resolution smaller than the wavelength. Sub-wavelength interference has potential application in lithography because it beats the classical Rayleigh resolution limit. Here, we carefully study second-order correlation theory to establish the physics behind sub-wavelength interference in photon coincidence detection. A Young's double slit experiment with pseudo-thermal light is performed to test the second-order correlation pattern. The results show that when two point detectors are scanned in different ways, super sub-wavelength interference patterns can be obtained. We then provide a theoretical explanation for this surprising result, and demonstrate that this explanation is also suitable for the results found for entangled light. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations of these types of super sub-wavelength interference patterns in quantum lithography.

A pump enhanced source of telecom-band correlated photon pairs

Correlated photon pairs generated through spontaneous parametric downconversion have become a key resource for research into enhanced optical measurement and quantum optical information processing. A pump-enhanced χ(2) source of correlated photons in the telecom band is presented. An investigation of the pair photon coincidence detection rate measured from the source, together with the evaluation of system losses, indicated a single spatial fibre-optic mode pair production rate of 6.12 × 104 s−1 mW−1 pump power, an order of magnitude greater than was measured without enhancement. A Hong-Ou-Mandel interference experiment confirmed that the enhancement did not have any adverse effect on the spatial and frequency indistinguishability of the emitted pairs. The source comprises a symmetric and linear enhancement cavity for the pump, making it particularly suitable for generating polarisation entangled photon pairs without the need for compensating crystals 1.

Twin-photon confocal microscopy

A recently introduced two-channel confocal microscope with correlated detection promises up to 50% improvement in transverse spatial resolution [Simon, Sergienko, Optics Express 18, 9765 (2010)] via the use of photon correlations. Here we achieve similar results in a different manner, introducing a triple-confocal correlated microscope which exploits the correlations present in optical parametric amplifiers. It is based on tight focusing of pump radiation onto a thin sample positioned in front of a nonlinear crystal, followed by coincidence detection of signal and idler photons, each focused onto a pinhole. This approach offers further resolution enhancement in confocal microscopy.

Atom detection in a two-mode optical cavity with intermediate coupling: Autocorrelation studies

We use an optical cavity in the regime of intermediate coupling between atom and cavity mode to detect single moving atoms. Degenerate polarization modes allow excitation of the atoms in one mode and collection of spontaneous emission in the other while keeping separate the two sources of light; we obtain a higher confidence and efficiency of detection by adding cavity-enhanced Faraday rotation. Both methods greatly benefit from coincidence detection of photons, attaining fidelities in excess of 99% in less than $1\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\text{s}$. Detailed studies of the second-order intensity autocorrelation function of light from the signal mode reveal evidence of antibunched photon emissions and the dynamics of single-atom transits.

All-fiber source of frequency-entangled photon pairs

We present an all-fiber source of frequency-entangled photon pairs by using four-wave mixing in a Sagnac fiber loop. Special care is taken to suppress the impurity of the frequency entanglement by cooling the fiber and by matching the polarization modes of the photon pairs counterpropagating in the fiber loop. Coincidence detection of signal and idler photons, which are created in pair and in different spatial modes of the fiber loop, shows the quantum interference in the form of spatial beating, while the single counts of the individual signal (idler) photons keep constant. When the production rate of photon pairs in each propagation direction of the fiber loop is about 0.065 pairs/pulse, the envelope of the quantum interference reveals a visibility of $(95\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2)%$, which is close to the calculated theoretical limit 98.7%.

Linear optical scheme for direct implementation of a nondestructiveN-qubit controlled phase gate

We propose a linear optical scheme for direct realization of a nondestructive $N$-qubit controlled phase gate without resorting to a sequence of single- and two-qubit gates. The proposed setup involves linear optical elements, nonmaximally entangled pairs of photons, and multiphoton coincidence detection. To implement the scheme, physical qubits represented by the polarization states of single photons are probabilistically encoded into the two-photon states. Based on such encoding operation, a nondestructive $N$-qubit phase gate can be directly achieved by $N$-photon interference on an array of polarization beam splitters and $N$-photon coincidence detection.

Two-Photon Interference Experiment in a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

A two-photon interference experiment is presented in which an entangled pair of photons generated from a parametric down-conversion was incident on two input ports of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The experiment was carried out using two photon coincidence detection with two detectors at the two output ports of the interferometer. The measured coincidence counts exhibit an interference effect with visibility of 0.75 at simultaneous inputs and 0.38 at inputs with different arrival times according to the degree of photon number entanglement.

Quantum random number generator based on polarization

We present a set of random number generator based on a quantum mechanical source,which is the process of splitting a beam of photons on a polarizing beam splitter.The randonmess of the polarizing photon is detected by the synchronous singlephoton coincidence detection technique.The random bit data are transferred to a personal computer via a digital I/O interface.The random numbers are tested by the Pseudorandom Number Sequence Test Program(ENT) which is the most popular random number test program in the world.The result is perfect.

Application of pharmacokinetic models to projection data in positron emission tomography

In positron emission tomography (PET), coincidence detection of annihilation photons enables the measurement of Radon transforms of the instantaneous activity concentration of labelled tracers in the human body. Using reconstruction algorithms, spatial maps of the activity distribution can be created and analysed to reveal the pharmacokinetics of the labelled tracer. This thesis considers the possibility of applying pharmacokinetic modelling to the count rate data measured by the detectors, rather than reconstructed images, A new concept is proposed - parameter projections - Radon transforms of the spatial distribution of the parameters of the model, which simplifies the problem considerably. Using this idea, a general linear least squares GLLS framework is developed and applied to the one and two tissue-compartment models for [O-15]water and [F-18]FDG. Simulation models are developed from first principles to demonstrate the accuracy of the GLLS approach to parameter estimation. This requires the validation of the whole body distribution of each of the tracers, using pharmacokinetic techniques, leading to novel compartment based whole body models for [O-15]water and [F-18]FDG. A simplified Monte-Carlo framework for error estimation of the tissue models is developed, based on system parameters. It is also shown that the variances of maps of the spatial variance of the parameters of the model - parametric images - can be calculated in projection space. It is clearly demonstrated that the precision of the variance estimates is higher than that obtained from estimates based on reconstructed images. Using the methods, it is shown how statistical parametric maps of the difference between two neuronal activation conditions can be calculated from projection data. The methods developed allow faster results analysis, avoiding lengthy reconstruction of large data sets, and allow access to robust statistical techniques for activation analysis through use of the known, Poisson distributed nature, of the measured projection data.