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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Quantum sensor miniaturization prospectus

Gerald N. Gilbert, Michael Hamrick, Yaakov S. Weinstein, Seth Pappas, Anthony Donadio

Published Mar 24, 2009• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The quantum mechanical phenomenon of entanglement can be utilized to beat the the Rayleigh limit, the classical bound on image resolution. This is done by entangling the photons that are used as the signal states. Using entanglement, the best possible image resolution is instead given by the Heisenberg limit, an improvement proportional to the number of entangled photons in the signal. Here, we present a novel application of entanglement by inverting the above procedure. We show that the resolution obtained by an imaging system utilizing separable photons can be achieved by an imaging system making use of entangled photons, but with the advantage of a smaller aperture. This results in a smaller, lighter imaging system. Smaller imaging systems can be especially valuable in satellite imaging where weight and size play a vital role.

DOI
10.1117/12.818700

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The quantum mechanical phenomenon of entanglement can be utilized to beat the the Rayleigh limit, the classical bound on image resolution. This is done by entangling the photons that are used as the signal states. Using entanglement, the best possible image resolution is instead given by the Heisenberg limit, an improvement proportional to the number of entangled photons in the signal. Here, we present a novel application of entanglement by inverting the above procedure. We show that the resolution obtained by an imaging system utilizing separable photons can be achieved by an imaging system making use of entangled photons, but with the advantage of a smaller aperture. This results in a smaller, lighter imaging system. Smaller imaging systems can be especially valuable in satellite imaging where weight and size play a vital role.
The classical bound on image resolution defined by the Rayleigh limit can be beaten by exploiting the properties of quantum mechanical entanglement. If entangled photons are used as signal states, the best possible resolution is instead given by the Heisenberg limit, an improvement proportional to the number of entangled photons in the signal. In this letter, we present a novel application of entanglement by showing that the resolution obtained by an imaging system utilizing separable photons can be achieved by an imaging system making use of entangled photons, but with the advantage of a smaller aperture, thus resulting in a smaller and lighter system. This can be especially valuable in satellite imaging where weight and size play a vital role.
The spatial resolution of an imaging apparatus is limited by the Rayleigh diffraction bound, a consequence of the imager's finite spatial extent. We show some NNN-photon strategies that permit resolution of details that are smaller than this bound, attaining either a 1∕N1∕\sqrt{N}1∕N​ enhancement (standard quantum limit) or a 1∕N1∕N1∕N enhancement (Heisenberg-like scaling) over standard techniques. In the incoherent imaging regime, the methods presented are loss resistant, since classical light sources suffice. Our results may be of importance in many applications: microscopy, telescopy, lithography, metrology, etc.
Quantum imaging exploits the spatial correlations between photons to image object features with a higher resolution than a corresponding classical light source could achieve. Using a quantum correlated N-photon state, the method of optical centroid measurement (OCM) was shown to exhibit a resolution enhancement by improving the classical Rayleigh limit by a factor of 1/N. In this work, the theory of OCM is formulated within the framework of an imaging formalism and is implemented in an exemplary experiment by means of a conventional entangled photon pair source. The expected resolution enhancement of a factor of two is demonstrated. The here presented experiment allows for single-shot operation without scanning or iteration to reproduce the object in the image plane. Thereby, photon detection is performed with a newly developed integrated time-resolving detector array. Multi-photon interference effects responsible for the observed resolution enhancement are discussed and possible alternative implementation possibilities for higher photon number are proposed.
Quantum imaging exploits the spatial correlations between photons to image object features with a higher resolution than a corresponding classical light source could achieve. Using a quantum correlated NNN-photon state, the method of optical centroid measurement (OCM) was shown to exhibit a resolution enhancement by improving the classical Rayleigh limit by a factor of 1/N1/N1/N. In this work, the theory of OCM is formulated within the framework of an imaging formalism and is implemented in an exemplary experiment by means of a conventional entangled photon pair source. The expected resolution enhancement of a factor of two is demonstrated. The here presented experiment allows for single-shot operation without scanning or iteration to reproduce the object in the image plane. Thereby, photon detection is performed with a newly developed integrated time-resolving detector array. Multi-photon interference effects responsible for the observed resolution enhancement are discussed and possible alternative implementation possibilities for higher photon number are proposed.
One of the most surprising consequences of quantum mechanics is the entanglement of two or more distant particles. Although questions regarding fundamental issues of quantum theory still exist, quantum entanglement has started to play important roles in practical engineering applications. Quantum imaging is one of these exciting areas. Quantum imaging has demonstrated two peculiar features: (1) reproducing ghost images in a nonlocal manner, and (2) enhancing the spatial resolution of imaging beyond the diffraction limit. In this article, we start with the review of classical imaging to establish the basic concepts and formalisms of imaging. We then analyze two-photon imaging with particular emphasis on the physics of spatial resolution enhancement and the ghost imaging phenomenon.
One of the most surprising consequences of quantum mechanics is the entanglement of two or more distant particles. Although questions regarding fundamental issues of quantum theory still exist, quantum entanglement has started to play important roles in practical engineering applications. Quantum imaging is one of these exciting areas. Quantum imaging has demonstrated two peculiar features: 1) reproducing ghost images in a nonlocal manner and 2) enhancing the spatial resolution of imaging beyond the diffraction limit. In this paper, we start with the review of classical imaging to establish the basic concepts and formalisms of imaging. We then analyze two-photon imaging with particular emphasis on the physics of spatial resolution enhancement and the ghost imaging phenomenon.