Fast Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry through spectrally resolved detection

Extracting information from a fast-moving object plays a crucial role in better understanding natural phenomena and exploring the unknown world. The conventional Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) sensor can acquire temporal information of an object using the single-shot method. However, this method is strictly limited by the temporal resolution of coincidence detection. On the other hand, implementing a suitable quantum interferometer for tracking fast-moving objects with relatively little technological effort has long been sought after, particularly for photon-sensitive biological and chemical dynamic processes. Here, we present a fast HOM interferometer based on quantum interference on a biphoton beat note and spectrally resolved detection. To verify the feasibility of our method, we demonstrate a proof-of-principle experiment that implements a fast HOM sensor for observing the track of a moving translation stage. These results may facilitate the use of quantum interference for enhancing the temporal resolution and processing speed in a fast HOM-based sensor, which has an important scientific significance in both fundamental research and applied science.