Method and system for creating an image using quantum properties of light based upon spatial information from a second light beam which does not illuminate the subject

• US 7,812,303 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Meyers, Ronald E., Deacon, Keith S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US12/330,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20100140458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/221, 2502032-2036, 356/4.01, 356/141.1, 356/146, 356/147, 382106-123, 382190-216, 382274-278
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 10/00 Quantum computing, i.e. information processing based on quantum-mechanical phenomena

Abstract

A preferred embodiment comprises a method and system for generating an image of a subject or area comprising a processor; at least one incoherent light source which illuminates the subject or area; a first receiver for receiving light reflected from the subject or area operatively connected to the processor; a second receiver for receiving light from at least one incoherent light source operatively connected to the processor; the first receiver collecting the amount of light reflected from the subject and transmit a value at specific intervals of time; the second receiver comprising a second detector which detects and transmits spatial information regarding the incoherent light source independent of any data concerning the subject at specific intervals of time; wherein the processor correlates the value transmitted by the first receiver with the spatial information derived from the second receiver at correlating intervals of time to create an image of the subject or area. Alternatively, sound or quantum particles may replace the incoherent light source.

Claims

1. A method for generating an image of a subject illuminated by a light source which can be an incoherent, partially coherent, chaotic or entangled light source comprising;

receiving light reflected from the subject into at least one first receiver at predetermined time intervals;

receiving light from the light source into at least one second receiver and detecting spatial information regarding the light source at corresponding time intervals independent of light from the subject;

the at least one first receiver and the at least one second receiver being operatively connected to at least one processor,

transmitting a measured value correlating to the amount of light reflected from the subject at the predetermined intervals of time from at least one first receiver to at least one processor;

correlating the measured values from the at least one first receiver at the predetermined intervals of time with the spatial information derived from the at least one second receiver at the corresponding intervals of time;

creating an image of the subject based upon the correlated measured values and spatial information by combining the spatial information from at least one second receiver at predetermined intervals of time with the measured values from at least one first receiver at the corresponding intervals of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one second receiver is remotely located from the at least one first receiver and wherein the at least one second receiver receives no light which has been reflected by the subject.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving light reflected from the subject into a first receiver comprises receiving a first plurality of photons emitted from a light source and reflected from the subject into a spatially integrated detector at a first location;

and wherein the step of receiving light from the light source into a second receiver comprises receiving a second plurality of photons emitted from the light source to produce a spatially resolved signal using a spatially addressable detector at a second location, the second plurality of photons reaching the second detector independent of interaction with the subject;

combining the bucket detector signal from the spatially intergrated detector and the spatially resolved signal at synchronized time intervals by using the equation;

G⁽²⁾({right arrow over (ρ

)}_o,{right arrow over (ρ

)}_i)=G₁₁⁽¹⁾({right arrow over (ρ

)}₁,{right arrow over (ρ

)}₁)G₂₂⁽¹⁾({right arrow over (ρ

)}₂,{right arrow over (ρ

)}₂)+G₁₂⁽¹⁾({right arrow over (ρ

)}₁,{right arrow over (ρ

)}₂)G₂₁⁽¹⁾({right arrow over (ρ

)}₂,{right arrow over (ρ

)}₁)

where G₁₁⁽¹⁾G₂₂⁽¹⁾ is approximately equal to G₀ and G₀ is a constant, and G₁₂⁽¹⁾G₂₁⁽¹⁾ is approximately equal to δ

({right arrow over (ρ

)}₁,{right arrow over (ρ

)}₂) where δ

({right arrow over (ρ

)}₁,{right arrow over (ρ

)}₂) represents the δ

-function non-local position-position correlation; and

ρ

₁ and ρ

₂ are the transverse spatial coordinates of the first and second detectors respectively; and

displaying the created image for the subject.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the light source is sunlight, thermalized laser light, or artificial incoherent light.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises entangled photons.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the light received by the at least one first receiver comprises stimulated fluorescence light and the light received by the at least one second receiver comprises light stimulating the stimulated fluorescence light.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one first receiver comprises a plurality of spatially integrated detectors which receive angularly distinct reflections from the subject illuminated by the light source.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of spatially integrated detectors receive light from a second subject illuminated by the light source.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the light illuminating and reflected from the subject passes through an image obscuring medium and wherein the distortion caused by the obscuring medium is corrected prior to the displaying of an image.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the obscuring medium is fog, an aerosol, particulate, turbulence, liquid, or frosted glass.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the distortion caused by the obscuring medium is corrected through corrective optics prior to displaying the image.

12. The method of claim 3 further comprising directing at least one of the first plurality of photons or the second plurality of photons through a monochromator prior to the displaying the correlation two-photon ghost image.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one first receiver comprises a spatially integrated detector and the at least one second receiver comprises a second spatially addressable detector and wherein both of the spatially integrated detector and the second spatially addressable detector are the charged coupled devices, and wherein the spatially integrated detector further comprises means for modifying sensitivity of specific pixels on the spatially integrated detector prior to producing the bucket detector signal.

14. The method of claim 3 further comprising receiving the first plurality of photons and the second plurality of photons at synchronized timing intervals.

15. A system for transmitting image information comprising:

at least one processor for processing information;

at least one light source which illuminates a subject;

the at least one light source emitting incoherent, partially coherent, chaotic or entangled light;

at least one first receiver for receiving light reflected from the subject operatively connected to the processor;

at least one second receiver for receiving light from the at least one light source operatively connected to the processor;

the at least one first receiver operative to detect the amount of light reflected from the subject and transmit a value correlating to the amount of light reflected from the subject at specific intervals of time to the processor;

the at least one second receiver comprising at least one second detector which detects and transmits spatial information regarding the at least one light source devoid of any input concerning the subject at specific intervals of time to the at least one processor;

the at least one processor operating to correlate the amount of the light collected by the first receiver at a specific interval of time with the spatial information derived from the second receiver at a correlating interval of time to create an image of the subject.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the system is a ghost imaging system using light reflected from a subject and wherein said at least one first receiver comprises a spatially integrated detector receiving a plurality of photons emitted from the light source and reflected by the object over a period of time;

and said at least one second receiver comprises a spatially addressable detector receiving a second plurality of photons emitted from the light source for the period of time, the second plurality of photons being independent of interaction with the object; and

wherein the processor comprises a computer for creating an image from signals obtained from the spatially integrated detector and the spatially addressable detector; and

adapted to display the image from the computer onto a monitor.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one first receiver detects the light reflected from the subject without spatial information.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one first receiver collects the amount of light reflected from the subject and does not record or collect spatial information concerning the internal features, outline or dimensions of the subject.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the at least one second receiver collects spatial information concerning the light source which is transmitted to the at least one processor and wherein the at least one processor creates the internal features, outline or dimensions of the subject based on the spatial information from the light source received by the at least one second receiver in combination with the amount of light measured by the at least one first receiver during corresponding time intervals.