Recently, a groundbreaking advancement in single-photon precision spectral measurement has emerged from a collaborative project between Professor Mei Liang's research group at the School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science and Researcher Yan Guofeng's team at the Zhejiang Laboratory. Their pivotal findings, encapsulated in the study "Single-Photon Dual-Comb Ghost Imaging Spectroscopy," have been published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications. Leading the charge as the first author is Dr. Peng Daowang, a postdoctoral researcher from the school.

This innovative research tackles the formidable challenge of conducting spectral measurements under exceedingly weak light conditions (at the picowatt level). The team has introduced a groundbreaking ghost imaging technique, which leverages orthogonal matrix-modulated dual-comb light sources. This approach facilitates high-resolution spectral analysis through the reconstruction of photon counting signals. Experimental results demonstrate that, with a photon flux of 5×10⁵ photons per second, this technology attains a spectral resolution on the scale of 100 MHz. Moreover, it boasts a measurement speed that is 1,000 times faster than conventional methods, while also enabling ultra-long-distance (125 km) fiber-optic sensing capabilities.

This remarkable breakthrough offers essential technical backing for applications such as trace molecular remote sensing, phototoxicity detection, and extended-range fiber-optic sensing.