We describe very high-time-resolution photometers capable of tagging the arrival time of each photon with a resolution and accuracy of few hundred picoseconds, for hours of continuous acquisition, and with a dynamic range of more than 6 orders of magnitude. The final goal is the conceptual definition of a “quantum” photometer for the E-ELT, capable of detecting and measuring second-order correlation effects in photon streams from celestial sources. Two prototype units have been built and operated, one for the Asiago 1.8-m telescope (AquEYE) and one for the 3.5-m NTT (IquEYE).Here we will present results obtained by IquEYE on the Crab Nebula pulsar in simultaneous radio observations with Jodrell Bank in December 2009.

Although optical pulsar studies have been limited to a few favoured objects, the observation of pulsars at optical wavelengths provides an opportunity to derive a number of important pulsar characteristics, including the energy spectrum of the emitting electrons and the geometry of the emission zone. These parameters will be vital for a comprehensive model of pulsar emission mechanisms. Observations of the Crab pulsar with the high-time-resolution photon-tagging photometer IquEYE show an optical–radio delay of ~178 μs. Incorporating simultaneous Jodrell Bank radio observations suggested a correlation between giant radio pulses and enhanced optical pulses for this pulsar, thus offering possible evidence for the reprocessing of radio photons.