SUPERTWIN · Project

Quantum Microscope Sees Details 10x Smaller Than Light Normally Allows

digitalPrototypeTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

Imagine trying to read a book through foggy glasses — at some point, the letters blur together and you just can't see the fine print. Regular microscopes hit the same wall: light waves are too "wide" to show details smaller than about half a micron. This project figured out a way to link multiple photons together so they act like one super-tiny particle, effectively shrinking that blur limit down to 42 nanometers. The result is a compact microscope with no moving parts that can resolve incredibly fine structures without any special sample preparation.

By the numbers

42 nm

Spatial resolution achieved with quantum imaging

5-partite

Entangled photon states used for super-resolution

420 nm

Photon wavelength used for imaging

1 kHz

Target photon production rate for 5-photon entangled states

Consortium partners across 5 countries

33%

Industry participation ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Current optical microscopes cannot resolve features smaller than about half the wavelength of light — roughly 200-250 nm. Industries working at the nanoscale (semiconductors, biotech, advanced materials) must rely on electron microscopes that are expensive, slow, require vacuum environments, and often damage samples. There is a clear gap for a compact, affordable, non-destructive imaging tool that works at sub-100 nm resolution.

The solution

What was built

The project built solid-state photon sources in two material systems — GaAs-based emitters for entangled infrared photons and GaN-based emitters for entangled visible photons — both targeting 5-photon production rates of 1 kHz. They also developed single-photon avalanche detector arrays with on-chip data pre-processing and image reconstruction algorithms for extracting images from entangled photon statistics.

Audience

Who needs this

Semiconductor wafer inspection and metrology companiesMicroscope and scientific instrument manufacturersPharmaceutical and biotech companies needing nanoscale cell imagingNanomaterial producers requiring quality control at sub-100 nmDefense and security firms interested in compact high-resolution imaging

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Semiconductor Manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Chip fabrication plants and semiconductor inspection equipment makers

If you are a semiconductor manufacturer dealing with quality control at ever-shrinking chip geometries — this project developed a solid-state quantum imaging system that achieves 42 nm spatial resolution. That means detecting defects on wafers and chips at scales where conventional optical inspection fails, without the cost and complexity of electron microscopy. The system has no moving parts, making it suitable for integration into production line inspection.

Life Sciences & Biopharma

any

Target: Microscopy instrument manufacturers and pharmaceutical R&D labs

If you are a pharma company or biotech lab struggling with sample preparation for high-resolution imaging — this project built a microscope technique that reaches 42 nm resolution using entangled photons at 420 nm wavelength, with no special requirements for the optical properties of the sample. This could enable live-cell imaging at near-electron-microscope resolution without killing or staining the sample. The compact, portable design opens possibilities for point-of-care diagnostics.

Advanced Materials & Nanotechnology

mid-size

Target: Materials testing companies and nanomaterial producers

If you are a materials company that needs to inspect nanostructures but finds electron microscopes too slow and expensive for routine use — this project created a portable super-resolution microscope based on 5-partite entangled photons. It achieves 42 nm resolution in a compact form factor with no moving parts, meaning faster throughput and lower operating costs than electron beam alternatives. The technology works regardless of sample optical properties, so it handles opaque and transparent materials equally.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would a system like this cost compared to current super-resolution microscopes?

The project data does not include pricing information. However, the design eliminates moving parts and uses solid-state emitters (GaAs and GaN-based), which are standard semiconductor materials. This suggests manufacturing costs could eventually be significantly lower than current super-resolution systems that rely on expensive laser setups and mechanical scanning.

Can this technology scale to industrial inspection speeds?

The demonstrated photon production rate is 1 kHz for 5-partite entangled photons. For high-throughput industrial inspection, this rate would likely need to increase by several orders of magnitude. The solid-state design (no moving parts, compact form factor) is inherently more scalable than lab-based quantum optics setups, but further engineering is needed.

What is the IP situation — can we license this technology?

The project was coordinated by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (Italy), a public research foundation. IP from EU-funded projects typically belongs to the consortium partners who generated it. Licensing inquiries should be directed to the coordinator and the specific partners who developed the photon sources (GaAs and GaN emitters) and detector arrays.

How does this compare to existing super-resolution methods like STED or PALM?

Unlike STED or PALM, this approach requires no fluorescent labeling, no special sample preparation, and has no requirements for the optical properties of the sample. It achieves 42 nm resolution using quantum entanglement rather than optical tricks, in a compact package with no moving parts. The trade-off is that the technology is at an earlier stage of maturity.

What was actually built and demonstrated?

The consortium fabricated GaAs-based solid-state sources of entangled infrared photons and GaN-based sources of entangled visible photons, both targeting 5-photon production rates of 1 kHz. They also developed single-photon avalanche detector arrays with data pre-processing and dedicated image reconstruction algorithms.

Is this ready for deployment in our facility?

Based on available project data, this is a research-stage technology. The project demonstrated the core building blocks — photon sources, detectors, and algorithms — but integration into a turnkey commercial instrument would require further engineering. The FET Open funding scheme specifically targets breakthrough research, not market-ready products.

Are there regulatory considerations for quantum-based imaging?

Quantum microscopy does not involve ionizing radiation (unlike electron microscopy), which simplifies regulatory compliance. The photon wavelength used is 420 nm (visible light), so standard optical safety regulations apply. No special facility modifications or radiation shielding would be needed.

Consortium

Who built it

The SUPERTWIN consortium brings together 9 partners from 5 countries (Italy, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belarus), with a healthy mix of 3 research organizations, 2 universities, and 3 industry partners including 2 SMEs. The 33% industry ratio signals genuine commercial interest in the technology. The coordinator, Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Italy, is a well-established research foundation with strong semiconductor fabrication capabilities. The inclusion of partners from Switzerland and the Netherlands — both strong in photonics and precision instrumentation — adds credibility to the commercialization path. However, no major microscope manufacturer (like Zeiss, Nikon, or Leica) is in the consortium, which could slow the path from prototype to commercial product.

FONDAZIONE BRUNO KESSLERCoordinator · IT
CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA - RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENTparticipant · CH
UNIVERSITAET BERNparticipant · CH
LFOUNDRY SRLparticipant · IT
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNEparticipant · CH
SINGLE QUANTUM BVparticipant · NL
B.I. Stepanov Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarusparticipant · BY
III-V LABparticipant · FR
A.P.E. RESEARCH SRLparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Fondazione Bruno Kessler (Italy) — contact through SciTransfer for introduction to the research team

Order a report on this consortium See FONDAZIONE BRUNO KESSLER profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing this quantum imaging technology for your inspection or microscopy needs? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the research team and help evaluate fit for your application.

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