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Classical Imaging with Undetected Photons

Jeffrey H. Shapiro, Dheera Venkatraman, Franco N. C. Wong

Published Jan 1, 2015• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe a classical-state system capable of mimicking the essential features of Barreto Lemos et al.'s quantum imaging with undetected photons [Nature, 512, 409-412 (2014)], but with a much higher signal-to-noise ratio.
DOI
10.1364/cleo_qels.2015.ff2a.8

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QUANTUM IMAGING WITH UNDETECTED PHOTONS AND THE THEORY OF OBJECTIVITY

Vidamor Cabannas

This article develops an expanded critical–propositional analysis of Gabriela Barreto Lemos et al.’s experiment, “Quantum Imaging with Undetected Photons,” published in Nature 512 (2014): 409–412, DOI 10.1038/nature13586, in systematic dialogue with the Theory of Objectivity (TO) formulated by Vidamor Cabannas and Denivaldo Silva. Lemos et al. experimentally demonstrated an imaging architecture based on induced coherence without induced emission in which photons that interact with an object are not themselves detected, whereas the image is reconstructed exclusively by detecting photons that never interacted directly with that object. Two coherently pumped nonlinear crystals can produce signal–idler photon-pair alternatives. An idler originating from the first crystal traverses the object and is subsequently mode- matched with the idler alternative associated with the second crystal. Under conditions in which the origin of the generated pair remains physically indistinguishable, the signal alternatives interfere, and amplitude and phase information introduced into the undetected idler path becomes accessible through the detected signal intensity (Lemos et al., 2014; Lahiri et al., 2015). The experiment therefore provides an unusually productive empirical domain in which to examine relations among interaction, physical distinguishability, coherence, information, observation, boundaries, and compositional phenomena. The present study argues that Lemos et al. do not experimentally establish the complete ontology of the Theory of Objectivity and do not demonstrate the modal necessity of its Seven Absolute Truths. Nevertheless, the experiment provides important operational bridges to the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Absolute Truths when these propositions are carefully distinguished from stronger metaphysical interpretations. Particular attention is devoted to the Fifth Absolute Truth, according to which an element must, for logical existence, be observed or remain within the frequency of at least two other elements, where “observation” does not mean human consciousness. Quantum imaging with undetected photons provides an experimentally controlled domain in which observable manifestation depends on relations among multiple phys- ical systems independently of a conscious observer. The later theoretical analysis of the Lemos architecture showed that information about the object occurs in the interference contribution rather than in either individual signal intensity considered separately (Lahiri et al., 2015). This makes the experiment particularly relevant to a TO interpretation of information as fundamentally relational. Methodological restraint is nevertheless essential. Classical-state correlated optical systems can reproduce important operational features of imaging with unde- tected photons (Shapiro, Venkatraman, and Wong, 2015). Consequently, the Lemos experiment does not by itself discriminate between the ontology of the TO and all competing descriptions. Its strongest scientifically defensible role is therefore to provide a controlled experimental environment in which TO propositions concerning relational existence, physical boundaries, non-human observation, composition, and information may be translated into measurable quantities. The article concludes by proposing an empirical research program in which modal propositions of the TO are related to experimentally measurable parameters such as distinguishability, coherence, visibility, complex transmission, boundary transformation, and recoverable information. Such a program could move the TO from conceptual compatibility with quantum phenomena toward genuinely discriminating empirical predictions. Keywords: Theory of Objectivity; quantum imaging; undetected photons; induced co- herence; quantum information; relational information; observation; indistinguishability; modal ontology; physical boundaries; testability; transcendent information.

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Quantum Imaging and Metrology with Undetected squeezed Photons: Noise Canceling and Noise Based Imaging

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In this work a quantum imaging setup based on undetected squeezed photons is employed for metrological applications such as sensitive phase measurement and quantum imaging. In spite of the traditional quantum imaging with undetected photons, introduced by A. Zeilinger et. al, the proposed setup is equipped by a homodyne detection and also the brightness of the quantum light is enhanced by an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). Introducing OPO may be diminish the validity of the low gain approximation, so a theoretical approach beyond this approximation is introduced. Due to the resource of squeezing, the results reveal the higher amount of signal to noise ratio, as a measure of image quality and phase-measurement accuracy. Accordingly, an imaging protocol is introduced to suppress the background noises, effectively. Interestingly, This protocol provides a way to extract the image information which is encoded in the quantum fluctuation (noise). Therefore, non-disruptive imaging is achievable, which is noteworthy subject in the field of bio-imaging of sensitive and low damage threshold living cells.

arXiv:2411.05175•Nov 7, 2024•0 citations
Barreto Lemos et al. [Nature 512, 409-412 (2014)] reported an experiment in which a non-degenerate parametric downconverter and a non-degenerate optical parametric amplifier--used as a wavelength-converting phase conjugator--were employed to image object transparencies in a manner akin to ghost imaging. Their experiment, however, relied on single-photon detection, rather than the photon-coincidence measurements employed in ghost imaging with a parametric downconverter source. More importantly, their system formed images despite the photons that passed through the object never being detected. Barreto Lemos et al. interpreted their experiment as a quantum imager, as assuredly it is, owing to its downconverter's emitting entangled signal and idler beams. We show, however, that virtually all the features of their setup can be realized in a quantum-mimetic fashion using classical-state light, specifically a pair of bright pseudothermal beams possessing a phase-sensitive cross correlation. Owing to its much higher signal-to-noise ratio, our bright-source classical imager could greatly reduce image-acquisition time compared to that of Barreto Lemos et al.'s quantum system, while retaining the latter's ability to image with undetected photons.
This article develops an expanded critical–propositional analysis of Gabriela Barreto Lemos et al.’s experiment, “Quantum Imaging with Undetected Photons,” published in Nature 512 (2014): 409–412, DOI 10.1038/nature13586, in systematic dialogue with the Theory of Objectivity (TO) formulated by Vidamor Cabannas and Denivaldo Silva. Lemos et al. experimentally demonstrated an imaging architecture based on induced coherence without induced emission in which photons that interact with an object are not themselves detected, whereas the image is reconstructed exclusively by detecting photons that never interacted directly with that object. Two coherently pumped nonlinear crystals can produce signal–idler photon-pair alternatives. An idler originating from the first crystal traverses the object and is subsequently mode- matched with the idler alternative associated with the second crystal. Under conditions in which the origin of the generated pair remains physically indistinguishable, the signal alternatives interfere, and amplitude and phase information introduced into the undetected idler path becomes accessible through the detected signal intensity (Lemos et al., 2014; Lahiri et al., 2015). The experiment therefore provides an unusually productive empirical domain in which to examine relations among interaction, physical distinguishability, coherence, information, observation, boundaries, and compositional phenomena. The present study argues that Lemos et al. do not experimentally establish the complete ontology of the Theory of Objectivity and do not demonstrate the modal necessity of its Seven Absolute Truths. Nevertheless, the experiment provides important operational bridges to the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Absolute Truths when these propositions are carefully distinguished from stronger metaphysical interpretations. Particular attention is devoted to the Fifth Absolute Truth, according to which an element must, for logical existence, be observed or remain within the frequency of at least two other elements, where “observation” does not mean human consciousness. Quantum imaging with undetected photons provides an experimentally controlled domain in which observable manifestation depends on relations among multiple phys- ical systems independently of a conscious observer. The later theoretical analysis of the Lemos architecture showed that information about the object occurs in the interference contribution rather than in either individual signal intensity considered separately (Lahiri et al., 2015). This makes the experiment particularly relevant to a TO interpretation of information as fundamentally relational. Methodological restraint is nevertheless essential. Classical-state correlated optical systems can reproduce important operational features of imaging with unde- tected photons (Shapiro, Venkatraman, and Wong, 2015). Consequently, the Lemos experiment does not by itself discriminate between the ontology of the TO and all competing descriptions. Its strongest scientifically defensible role is therefore to provide a controlled experimental environment in which TO propositions concerning relational existence, physical boundaries, non-human observation, composition, and information may be translated into measurable quantities. The article concludes by proposing an empirical research program in which modal propositions of the TO are related to experimentally measurable parameters such as distinguishability, coherence, visibility, complex transmission, boundary transformation, and recoverable information. Such a program could move the TO from conceptual compatibility with quantum phenomena toward genuinely discriminating empirical predictions. Keywords: Theory of Objectivity; quantum imaging; undetected photons; induced co- herence; quantum information; relational information; observation; indistinguishability; modal ontology; physical boundaries; testability; transcendent information.
In this work a quantum imaging setup based on undetected squeezed photons is employed for metrological applications such as sensitive phase measurement and quantum imaging. In spite of the traditional quantum imaging with undetected photons, introduced by A. Zeilinger et. al, the proposed setup is equipped by a homodyne detection and also the brightness of the quantum light is enhanced by an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). Introducing OPO may be diminish the validity of the low gain approximation, so a theoretical approach beyond this approximation is introduced. Due to the resource of squeezing, the results reveal the higher amount of signal to noise ratio, as a measure of image quality and phase-measurement accuracy. Accordingly, an imaging protocol is introduced to suppress the background noises, effectively. Interestingly, This protocol provides a way to extract the image information which is encoded in the quantum fluctuation (noise). Therefore, non-disruptive imaging is achievable, which is noteworthy subject in the field of bio-imaging of sensitive and low damage threshold living cells.