Perspectives for Applications of Quantum Imaging

Abstract

Quantum imaging is a multifaceted field of research that promises highly efficient imaging in extreme spectral ranges as well as ultralow‐light microscopy. Since the first proof‐of‐concept experiments over 30 years ago, the field has evolved from highly fascinating academic research to the verge of demonstrating practical technological enhancements in imaging and microscopy. Here, the aim is to give researchers from outside the quantum optical community, in particular those applying imaging technology, an overview of several promising quantum imaging approaches and evaluate both the quantum benefit and the prospects for practical usage in the near future. Several use case scenarios are discussed and a careful analysis of related technology requirements and necessary developments toward practical and commercial application is provided.

Extraction of additional information during quantum ghost imaging and its processing

“…C has to have maximum possible rank, n, to prevent appearance of an image component that does not affect hypothesis testing. The problem of choosing components then comes down to the choice of C of maximal rank (which, in this case, is equal to the number of nonzero matrix elements) that satisfies the condition (6). The linear operator S : R n → R n is a parameter of the criterion that may depend on C, T, Σ R * ξ , but not onû, and it should be chosen to maximize the number of components for which the condition (6) holds.…”

“…One of the important arguments in favor of quantum ghost imaging is its capability of producing the lighting conditions that are the most benign for the research object, when the illumination effect (sometimes irreversible) on the object is minimal [5,6]. This is particularly important when illuminating living creatures, e. g., by X-rays.…”

“…Moreover, while in ordinary imaging, it is only necessary to detect a photon that has interacted with the object, ghost imaging requires detection of a pair of photons, and thus, the mean number of detected photons is proportional to squared quantum efficiency if it is the same for all sensors. This is particularly important if quantum efficiency of the detectors is low and if high detector performance is required [6].…”

“…We also mention plenoptic imaging using entangled photons [12][13][14], which also uses additional information extracted by measurements in the object arm, but to produce a 3D distribution of the optical characteristics of the object instead of improving processing of a 2D image. Moreover, it is possible to replace the bucket detector in the usual ghost imaging setup by a spectrally resolving one [6].…”

Improving the Contrast of Pseudothermal Ghost Images Based on the Measured Signal Distribution of Speckle Fields

“…Exploiting the quantum properties of light is one way to overcome some of those limitations. Ghost imaging is one of the subfields of quantum imaging that exploits quantum or spatial intensity-fluctuation correlations to image objects with resolution, contrast, or other imaging criteria that can go beyond classical optics [1][2][3]. Ghost imaging can nonlocally image an object using photons that have not interacted with the object [4].…”