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International Conference on Quantum Information

Longer Baseline Telescope Arrays Using Quantum Repeaters

Daniel Gottesman, Thomas D. Jennewein, Sarah Croke, Latham A. Boyle

Published Jan 1, 2011• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Interferometry among telescope arrays has become a standard technique in astronomy. We discuss using quantum repeaters to increase the baseline length, and therefore resolving power, of telescope arrays at optical observing frequencies.
DOI
10.1364/icqi.2011.pdpb1

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In optical and IR wavelengths, typical astronomical sources have only one or a few photons arriving at a time, meaning the light is really a quantum object. This makes interferometry over longer baselines a major challenge, requiring a truly quantum interference measurement between distant elements in the array rather than local measurements which can be combined later. Luckily, our ability to manipulate and preserve quantum states has taken major strides forward in the last few decades with the rise of quantum information technologies. I will explain how entangled quantum states and a technology called "quantum repeaters" can make possible telescope arrays with much longer baselines than existing facilities, and discuss progress towards making such quantum telescopes a reality.
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