Quantum optical coherence tomography (Q-OCT) is an imaging technique that uses nonclassical (quantum) light sources to generate high-resolution images based on the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect (HOM). Q-OCT is similar to conventional OCT but uses a fourth-order interferometer that incorporates two photodetectors rather than a second-order interferometer with a single photodetector. The primary advantage of Q-OCT over OCT is insensitivity to even-order dispersion in multi-layered and scattering media.

Several quantum sources of light have been developed so far. An example of such nonclassical sources is spontaneous parametric down-conversion that generates entangled photon pairs (twin-photon). The entangled photons are emitted in pairs and have stronger-than-classical temporal and spatial correlations. The entangled photons are anti-correlated in frequencies and directions. However, the nonclassical light sources are expensive and limited, several quantum-mimetic light sources are developed by classical light and nonlinear optics, which mimic dispersion cancellation and unique additional benefits.

The principle of Q-OCT is fourth-order interferometry. The optical setup is based on a Hong ou Mandel (HOM) interferometer with a nonclassical light source. Twin photons travel into and recombined from reference and sample arm and the coincidence rate is measured with time delay.

The nonlinear crystal is pumped by a laser and generates photon pairs with anti-correlation in frequency. One photon travels through the sample and the other through a delay time before the interferometer. The photon-coincidence rate at the output ports of the beam splitter is measure as a function of length difference (${\displaystyle c\tau _{q}}$) by a pair of single-photon-counting detectors and a coincidence counter.

Due to the quantum destructive interference, both photons emerge from the same port when the optical path lengths are equal. The coincidence rate has a sharp dip when the optical path length difference is zero. Such dips are used to monitor the reflectance of the sample as a function of depth.

The twin-photon source is characterized by the frequency-entangled state:

${\displaystyle \left|\psi \right\rangle =\int \,d\Omega \zeta (\Omega )\left|\omega _{0}+\Omega \right\rangle _{1}\left|\omega _{0}-\Omega \right\rangle _{2},}$

where ${\displaystyle \Omega }$ is the angular frequency deviation about the central angular frequency ${\displaystyle \omega _{0}}$ of the twin-photon wave packet, ${\displaystyle \zeta (\Omega )}$ is the spectral probability amplitude.