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Optics Express

Microwave quantum illumination: enhanced azimuth detection with cavity magnonics

Zhongchen Yang, Yongqiang Li, Jie Wang, Yunlan Zuo, Tianxiang Lu, Hui Jing, Changliang Ren

Published Jul 10, 2024• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Most current microwave quantum illumination techniques rely on hybrid quantum systems to detect the presence of targets. However, real-world radar tasks are considerably more intricate than this simplistic model. Accurately determining physical attributes such as object speed, position, and azimuth is also essential. In this study, we explore azimuth detection using a quantum illumination approach based on a cavity-optomagnonics system and analyze the accuracy of azimuth detection in this framework. Our results indicate that this approach significantly outperforms classical microwave radar in azimuth detection within the parameters of current existing experiments. Additionally, we investigate the impact of Kerr nonlinearity of the YIG sphere on azimuth detection accuracy, revealing a clear improvement with the incorporation of Kerr nonlinearity.

DOI
10.1364/oe.528688

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Most current microwave quantum illumination techniques rely on hybrid quantum systems to detect the presence of targets. However, real-world radar tasks are considerably more intricate than this simplistic model. Accurately determining physical attributes such as object speed, position, and azimuth is also essential. In this study, we explore azimuth detection using a quantum illumination approach based on a cavity-optomagnonics system and analyze the accuracy of azimuth detection in this framework. Our results indicate that this approach significantly outperforms classical microwave radar in azimuth detection within the parameters of current existing experiments. Additionally, we investigate the impact of Kerr nonlinearity of the YIG sphere on azimuth detection accuracy, revealing a clear improvement with the incorporation of Kerr nonlinearity.
Quantum illumination (QI) is a quantum sensing protocol mainly for target detection which uses entangled signal-idler photon pairs to enhance the detection efficiency of low-reflectivity objects that are immersed in thermal noisy environments. Due to the naturally occurring background radiation, the photon emitted toward potential targets more appropriately lies in the microwave region. Here, we propose a hybrid quantum source based on cavity magnonics for microwave QI, where the medium that bridges the optical and the microwave modes is magnon, the quanta of spin wave. Within experimentally accessible parameters, significant microwave-optical quantum resources of interest can be generated, leading to orders of magnitude lower detecting error probability compared with the electro-optomechanical prototype quantum radar and any classical microwave radar with equal transmitted energy.
Quantum illumination is a quantum optical sensing technique, which employs an entangled source to detect low-reflectivity object immersed in a bright thermal background. Hybrid cavity-optomagnonics system promises to work as quantum illumination because a yttrium iron garnet (YIG) sphere can couple to microwave field and optical field. In this paper, we propose a scheme to enhance the entanglement between the output fields of the microwave and optical cavities by considering the intrinsic Kerr nonlinearity of the YIG. We investigate the difference between intrinsic Kerr nonlinearity and optomagnonical parametric-type coupling on improving entanglement. Our result show that the large value optomagnonical parametric-type coupling does not mean the large entanglement, nevertheless, the large value of Kerr nonlinearity does monotonously improve the entanglement for our group of parameters. Consequently, under feasible parameters of current experiment, the signal-to-noise ratio and probability of detection error can be improved after considering the magnon Kerr nonlinearity.
Quantum illumination is a quantum-optical sensing technique in which an entangled source is exploited to improve the detection of a low-reflectivity object that is immersed in a bright thermal background. Here, we describe and analyze a system for applying this technique at microwave frequencies, a more appropriate spectral region for target detection than the optical, due to the naturally occurring bright thermal background in the microwave regime. We use an electro-optomechanical converter to entangle microwave signal and optical idler fields, with the former being sent to probe the target region and the latter being retained at the source. The microwave radiation collected from the target region is then phase conjugated and upconverted into an optical field that is combined with the retained idler in a joint-detection quantum measurement. The error probability of this microwave quantum-illumination system, or quantum radar, is shown to be superior to that of any classical microwave radar of equal transmitted energy.
Quantum illumination can utilize entangled light to detect the low-reflectivity target that is hidden in a bright thermal background. This technique is applied to the detection of an object in the curved spacetime of the Earth, in order to explore how the curvature of spacetime affects quantum illumination. It is found that the spatial quantum illumination with entangled state transmitter outperforms that with coherent-state transmitter in the near-Earth curved spacetime. Moreover, either the quantum illumination system or the coherent-state system is employed, and gravity can enhance the spacetime target detection by reducing the thermal signal at the receiver. Besides, our model in principle can be applied to microwave quantum illumination and thus provides, to some degree, a theoretical foundation for the upcoming spatial quantum radar technologies.
We propose a hybrid cavity-magnon optomechanical system with mechanical nonlinearity to enhance both bipartite and tripartite entanglement. This system comprises a microwave cavity QED, a YIG sphere, and a mechanical oscillator. Our results demonstrate a significant enhancement of both bipartite and tripartite entanglement through the utilization of mechanical nonlinearity. Moreover, the entanglement prepared by this system exhibits better temperature robustness compared to the traditional system. Finally, we conduct thorough physical calculations to analyze in detail the mechanisms by which mechanical nonlinearity enhances entanglement. Additionally, we determine the position within the system that yields the maximum bipartite entanglement through calculations.
Quantum radar systems leverage entangled photon pairs to detect and identify targets in noisy or cluttered environments with sensitivity beyond classical limits. By transmitting one photon of an entangled pair toward a distant object while retaining its partner locally, the system exploits quantum correlations to improve signal discrimination, reduce noise susceptibility, and enhance detection probability. This paper outlines the physical principles, operational architecture, and performance advantages of entanglement‑based illumination, providing a clear foundation for future quantum‑enhanced sensing technologies.(If you want it shorter, longer, or more formal, tap: shorter paragraph, longer paragraph, more formal)