Processing images in entangled quantum systems

Sanjay Singh, S. Praveen Kumar, Rashmi Jain

Nicholas Bornman, Megan Agnew, Feng Zhu +3 more

Ghost imaging is the remarkable process where an image can be formed from photons that have not "seen" the object. Traditionally this phenomenon has required initially correlated but spatially separated photons, e.g., one to interact with the object and the other to form the image, and has been observed in many physical situations, spanning both the quantum and classical regimes. To date, all instances of ghost imaging record an image with the same contrast as the object, i.e., where the object is bright, the image is also bright, and vice versa. Here we observe ghost imaging in a new system - a system based on photons that have never interacted. We utilise entanglement swapping between independent pairs of spatially entangled photons to establish position correlations between two initially independent photons. As a consequence of an anti-symmetric projection in the entanglement swapping process, the recorded image is the contrast reversed version of the object, i.e., where the object is bright, the image is dark, and vice versa. The results highlight the importance of state projection in this ghost imaging process and provides a pathway to teleporting images across a quantum network.

Nicholas Bornman, Megan Agnew, Feng Zhu +3 more

Abstract Traditional ghost imaging requires correlated but spatially separated photons and has been observed in many physical situations, spanning both the quantum and classical regimes. Here we observe ghost imaging in a new system—a system based on entanglement swapping, the key feature of a quantum network. We detail how the exact form of quantum interference between independent photons dictates the precise nature of the ghost imaging, for example, for an anti-symmetric projection, the recorded image is the contrast-reversed version of the object—where the object is bright, the image is dark, and vice versa. The results highlight the importance of state projection in this ghost-imaging process and provide a pathway for the teleportation of two-dimensional spatial states across a quantum network. Our results also indicate that ghost images with new image properties could be achieved in conventional settings through a variety of new signal processing procedures.

J. Jennifer Ranjani

Jincheng Zhang

This paper explores the potential of quantum entanglement to revolutionize image reconstruction, specifically focusing on the creation of high-resolution, detailed images. Traditional image reconstruction methods often struggle with limitations in spatial resolution, relying on classical physics for image quality. We propose a novel approach leveraging quantum entanglement to encode and transmit image information, enabling a fundamentally different reconstruction process. This system promises significantly enhanced image resolution and detail through a unique mechanism that transcends the limitations of classical optics. The core claim is that this approach can achieve resolutions exceeding current state-of-the-art methods, and offers a pathway towards truly detailed image reconstruction. This work lays the groundwork for a new paradigm in image processing, capitalizing on the peculiar properties of quantum mechanics.

Claude Fabre, Ulrik L. Andersen, Hans‐A. Bachor +5 more