Angular Resolution of Images Using Photons Having Non-Classical States

• US 20140146323A1
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Capron, Barbara A., Parazzoli, Claudio G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,303,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/450
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2290/55 Quantum effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02041 characterised by particular imaging or detection techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/58 Optics for apodization or superresolution; Optical synthetic aperture systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/70 Photonic quantum communication

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for improving the angular resolution of an image. A plurality of photon beams originating from a scene are received at a sensor system. Each of the plurality of photon beams is interfered with a corresponding source photon beam in a plurality of source photon beams to form a plurality of interference beams. Each of the plurality of source photon beams has a non-classical state. Fluctuations in a photon-number of the each of the plurality of source photon beams are reduced to within selected tolerances. An output signal is formed based on the plurality of interference beams. The output signal is configured for use in generating an image of the scene.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of photon beams at a sensor system, wherein the plurality of photon beams originate from a scene;

interfering each of the plurality of photon beams with a corresponding source photon beam in a plurality of source photon beams to form a plurality of interference beams, wherein each of the plurality of source photon beams has a non-classical state in which fluctuations in a photon-number of the each of the plurality of source photon beams is reduced to within selected tolerances; and

forming an output signal based on the plurality of interference beams, wherein the output signal is configured for use in generating an image of the scene.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the plurality of photon beams through a plurality of apertures in the sensor system, wherein the plurality of apertures form a synthetic aperture in the sensor system.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

emitting source photons having the non-classical state from a photon source, wherein the source photons are distributed as the plurality of source photon beams.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein emitting the source photons having the non-classical state from the photon source comprises:

emitting the source photons having the non-classical state from the photon source, wherein the non-classical state is a squeezed state.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein emitting the source photons having the non-classical state from the photon source comprises:

emitting the source photons having the non-classical state from the photon source, wherein the photon source is configured to reduce the fluctuations in the photon-number of the each of the plurality of source photon beams such that a statistical variance in the photon-number is reduced to within selected tolerances.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein forming the output signal using the plurality of interference beams comprises:

detecting the plurality of interference beams;

generating a plurality of electrical signals in response to detecting the plurality of interference beams; and

forming the output signal using the plurality of electrical signals, wherein the output signal includes relative phase information for the plurality of apertures.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reducing fluctuations in a relative phase between a photon beam in the plurality of photon beams and a source photon beam in the plurality of source photon beams corresponding to the photon beam in response to a reduction in the fluctuations in the photon-number of the each of the plurality of source photon beams.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating the image using the output signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the image using the output signal comprises:

sampling the output signal to form measurements;

identifying an intensity distribution using the measurements and an imaging algorithm based on a Van Cittert-Zernike theorem; and

generating the image using the intensity distribution in which the image has an improved angular resolution with an angle less than about one nanoradian.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a photon source configured to emit source photons having a non-classical state, wherein the source photons are configured to be distributed as a plurality of source photon beams in which fluctuations in a photon-number of each of the plurality of source photon beams is reduced to within selected tolerances; and

a sensor system configured to receive a plurality of photon beams originating from a scene, interfere each of the plurality of photon beams with a corresponding source photon beam in the plurality of source photon beams to form a plurality of interference beams, and form an output signal based on the plurality of interference beams, wherein the output signal is configured for use in generating an image of the scene.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

an image generator configured to receive the output signal and generate the image of the scene using the output signal, wherein the image has an improved angular resolution.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the improved angular resolution is an angle less than about one nanoradian.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the photon source is a coherent source and the non-classical state is a squeezed state.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensor system comprises:

a synthetic aperture comprising a plurality of apertures configured to receive the plurality of photon beams originating from the scene, wherein the plurality of apertures form the synthetic aperture having a baseline within a selected range.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensor system comprises:

an interference system configured to interfere the each of the plurality of photon beams with the corresponding source photon beam in the plurality of source photon beams to form the plurality of interference beams.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensor system comprises:

a detector system configured to form a plurality of electrical signals in response to detecting the plurality of interference beams, wherein the output signal is formed using the plurality of electrical signals.

17. A system comprising:

a synthetic aperture configured to receive a plurality of photon beams originating from a scene;

an interference system configured to interfere each of the plurality of photon beams with a corresponding source photon beam in a plurality of source photon beams having a non-classical state to form a plurality of interference beams, wherein fluctuations in a photon-number of each of the plurality of source photon beams are reduced to within selected tolerances; and

a detector system configured to detect the plurality of interference beams, wherein an output signal configured for use in generating an image of the scene is formed in response to detection of the plurality of interference beams.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a photon source configured to emit source photons having the non-classical state, wherein the source photons are configured to be distributed as the plurality of source photon beams and wherein a relative phase between the plurality of source photon beams is known.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the synthetic aperture, the interference system, and the detector system are part of a sensor system and wherein the sensor system is configured to form the output signal configured for use in generating the image of the scene, wherein the image has a desired angular resolution.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

an image generator configured to receive the output signal and generate the image of the scene using the output signal.