The quantum statistical properties of optical fields are core parameters that characterize the intrinsic physical properties of light sources, among which the second-order degree of coherence g⁽²⁾(0) serves as a key criterion for distinguishing between different types of light such as thermal light and coherent light, and thus holds significant theoretical and practical value. The quantum correlation characteristics inherent in these properties provide crucial physical support for advanced fields including quantum spectroscopy and quantum imaging. Particularly in correlation imaging, this technique exhibits irreplaceable potential for complex scene detection, owing to its strong resistance to scattering interference and exceptional capability for high-resolution imaging under weak-light conditions. However, existing technologies are still constrained by several critical limitations, including the limited stability of highly coherent light sources, insufficient manipulation speed and control over light intensity, a lack of synergy between coherent control and mode customization, poor adaptability to low-light conditions, and lagging capabilities in the analysis of high-order coherence control.

In response to the aforementioned issues, in this study a single-photon detection array (SPDA) is used as the core detection device and two schemes are proposed for enhancing the second-order coherence of a light field: an innovative approach based on random dynamic mask modulation and a comparative scheme using a Hadamard mask. By spatially modulating a coherent light field with initial second-order coherence of 1, a light beam exhibiting both strong correlations and power-law statistical properties is successfully generated. Throughout the investigation, the photon statistical distribution and second-order coherence characteristics of the modulated light are systematically examined, with emphasis on analyzing the influence of key parameters such as exposure time and mask modulation frequency. Meanwhile, the enhancement effect of this modulation technique on single-photon correlation imaging performance is also experimentally validated.

Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves significant effectiveness in both light field manipulation and imaging optimization. Regarding the control of photon statistical property, the proposed method enables efficient manipulation of light fields with average photon numbers ranging from 10^–2 to 10². The photon number statistics of the modulated light field strictly follow a discrete power-law distribution, and its distribution curve exhibits a clear linear relationship within a specific interval in double logarithmic coordinates. This finding provides critical support for quantitatively analyzing the quantum statistical properties in highly coherent light fields. Regarding the enhancement of second-order coherence and optimization of imaging performance, under a short exposure condition (5 μs), the random dynamic mask can raise the second-order coherence of the initial coherent light field to 98.6667, with an average photon number per pixel of only 0.0076. In comparison, the Hadamard mask can increase this value to 47.2899, corresponding to an average photon number per pixel of 0.0137. Further experimental validation confirms that the g⁽²⁾ correlation imaging scheme based on the second-order coherence significantly outperforms the traditional frame stacking approach in all performance metrics. According to the proposed scheme, only 20 frames are required to achieve substantial improvement in imaging quality. Specifically, compared with traditional frame stacking methods, loading random dynamic masks can improve the following performance: peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) by 20.98 dB, structural similarity (SSIM) by 0.84, contrast (CTRS) by 73.97, and sharpness (ACU) by 34.01 relative to the initial value.

In summary, the modulation and imaging scheme proposed in this study can effectively optimize the performance of single-photon detection array under conditions of low photon flux and short exposure, providing a feasible approach for high-quality imaging in low-light scenarios. Meanwhile, experimental results fully demonstrate the core role of high-coherence light fields in promoting the performance of single-photon correlation imaging, which has important reference value for the practical application of quantum imaging technology.