An optical transmitter irradiates a target region containing a bright thermal-noise bath in which a low-reflectivity object might be embedded. The light received from this region is used to decide whether the object is present or absent. The performance achieved using a coherent-state transmitter is compared with that of a quantum illumination transmitter, i.e., one that employs the signal beam obtained from spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC). By making the optimum joint measurement on the light received from the target region together with the retained SPDC idler beam, the quantum illumination system realizes a 6 dB advantage in error probability exponent over the optimum reception coherent-state system. This advantage accrues despite there being no entanglement between the light collected from the target region and the retained idler beam.
With the aim to loosen the entanglement requirements of quantum illumination, we study the performance of a family of Gaussian states at the transmitter, combined with an optimal and joint quantum measurement at the receiver. We find that maximal entanglement is not strictly necessary to achieve quantum advantage over the classical benchmark of a coherent-state transmitter, in both settings of symmetric and asymmetric hypothesis testing. While performing this quantum-classical comparison, we also investigate a suitable regime of parameters for potential short-range radar (or scanner) applicati…
The quantum illumination is examined by making use of the three-mode maximally entangled Gaussian state, which involves one signal and two idler beams. It is shown that the quantum Bhattacharyya bound between $ρ$ (state for target absence) and $σ$ (state for target presence) is less than the previous result derived by two-mode Gaussian state when $N_S$, average photon number per signal, is less than $0.295$. This indicates that the quantum illumination with three-mode Gaussian state gives less error probability compared to that with two-mode Gaussian state when $N_S < 0.295$.
Proofs of the quantum advantage available in imaging or detecting objects under quantum illumination can rely on optimal measurements without specifying what they are. We use the continuous-variable Gaussian quantum information formalism to show that quantum illumination is better for object detection compared with coherent states of the same mean photon number, even for simple direct photodetection. The advantage persists if signal energy and object reflectivity are low and background thermal noise is high. The advantage is even greater if we match signal beam detection probabilities rather t…
We propose observable bounds for Gaussian illumination to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio, which minimizes the discrimination error between the presence and absence of a low-reflectivity target using Gaussian states. The observable bounds are achieved with mode-by-mode measurements. In the quantum regime using a two-mode squeezed vacuum state, our observable receiver outperforms the other feasible receivers whereas it cannot approach the quantum Chernoff bound. The corresponding observable cannot be implemented with heterodyne detections due to the additional vacuum noise. In the classical …
Use of non-classical light in a quantum illumination scheme provides an advantage over classical illumination when used for LIDAR with a simple and realistic detection scheme based on Geiger-mode single photon detectors. Here we provide an analysis that accounts for the additional information gained when detectors do not fire that is typically neglected and show an improvement in performance of quantum illumination. Moreover, we provide a theoretical framework quantifying performance of both quantum and classical illumination for simple target detection, showing parameters for which a quantum …
Quantum illumination employs entangled states to detect a weakly reflective target in a thermal bath. The performance of a given entangled state is evaluated from the minimum error probability in the asymptotic limit, which is compared against the optimal coherent state scheme. We derive an upper bound as well as a lower bound on the asymptotic minimum error probability, as functions of the quantum Fisher information. The upper bound can be achieved using a repetitive local strategy. This allows us to compare the optimal performance of definite-photon-number entangled states against that of th…
The contrast of an image can be degraded by the presence of background light and sensor noise. To overcome this degradation, quantum illumination protocols have been theorised (Science 321 (2008), Physics Review Letters 101 (2008)) that exploit the spatial correlations between photon-pairs. Here we demonstrate the first full-field imaging system using quantum illumination, by an enhanced detection protocol. With our current technology we achieve a rejection of background and stray light of order 5 and also report an image contrast improvement up to a factor of 5.5, which is resilient to both e…
Quantum illumination uses a quantum state of the electromagnetic field to detect the presence of a target against a bright background more sensitively than any classical state. Most often, the quantum state is a two-mode squeezed vacuum consisting of signal and idler modes with a non-zero phase-sensitive cross correlation, which serves as the signature for target detection, and a zero phase-insensitive cross correlation, which means the modes produce no fringes in second order interference. Here it is shown that applying phase-sensitive amplification to the idler modes of a two-mode squeezed v…
Entangled photons produced by spontaneous parametric down-conversion have been of paramount importance for our current understanding of quantum mechanics and advances in quantum information. In this process, the quantum correlations of the down-converted photons are governed by the optical properties of the pump beam illuminating the non-linear crystal. Extensively, the pump beam has been modeled by either coherent beams or by the well-know Gaussian-Schell model, which leads to the natural conclusion that a high degree of optical coherence is required for the generation of highly entangled sta…
In Quantum Illumination (QI), a signal beam initially entangled with an idler beam held at the receiver interrogates a target region bathed in thermal background light. The returned beam is measured jointly with the idler in order to determine whether a weakly reflecting target is present. Using tools from quantum information theory, we derive lower bounds on the average error probability of detecting both specular and fading targets and on the mean squared error of estimating the reflectance of a detected target, which are obeyed by any QI transmitter satisfying a signal energy constraint. Fo…
A simple feedback scheme can be used to operate efficiently a microwave-quantum-illumination device based on electro-optomechanical systems also in regimes in which excess dissipation would, otherwise, prevent to outperform the optimal classical illumination protocol with the same transmitted energy.
Strong light illumination on gain-switched semiconductor lasers helps the eavesdropper in practical quantum key distribution systems
无论是否安装热电冷却器，在强光照射下半导体二极管的温度都会增加，这会改变激光器的输出波长（Lee M. S.例如，2017年）。然而，其他特性也随着温度的升高而变化。这些变化可以帮助窃听者在实际的量子密钥分发系统。通过模拟增益开关半导体激光器的速率方程，研究了温度升高对增益开关半导体激光器的影响。结果表明，温度的升高会引起较大的光强起伏，使输出光强降低，并导致信号态和诱饵态的区别。我们还提出了一种改进的光子数分裂攻击，利用温度升高的影响。并提出了相应的对策。
Single-photon-avalanche diode (SPAD) arrays are essential tools in biophotonics, optical ranging and sensing and quantum optics. However, their small number of pixels, low quantum efficiency and small fill factor have so far hindered their use for practical imaging applications. Here, we demonstrate full-field entangled photon pair correlation imaging using a 100-kpixels SPAD camera. By measuring photon coincidences between more than 500 million pairs of positions, we retrieve the full point spread function of the imaging system and subsequently high-resolution images of target objects illumin…
Quantifying the source of enhancement in experimental continuous variable quantum illumination
量子照明协议利用相关光束来提高位于非常嘈杂的背景中的部分反射对象的检测概率。最近，在[Lopaeva { \it et al，}，Phys. Rev. Lett. { \bf 101}，153603（2013）]，其中尽管失去了非经典性，但仍保留了增强。在本文中，我们调查的来源，量子优势，在实现。我们引入了一个有效的双模式描述的光源和分析的互信息作为量化的总相关性在有效的双模式图片。在高热化背景下，我们发现纠缠源相对于非纠缠热源的信噪比的提高正好等于相应源的有效互信息的比值。更准确地说，这两个量趋向于由各自互相关的平方比指定的共同极限。通过对实验数据的深入分析，证实了这一理论结果.
We propose Gaussian quantum illumination(QI) protocol exploiting asymmetrically squeezed two-mode(ASTM) state that is generated by applying single-mode squeezing operations on each mode of an initial two-mode squeezed vacuum(TMSV) state, in order to overcome the limited brightness of a TMSV state. We show that the performance of the optimal receiver is enhanced by local squeezing operation on a signal mode whereas the performance of a realistic receiver can be enhanced by local squeezing operations on both input modes. Under a fixed mean photon number of the signal mode, the ASTM state can be …
Quantum illumination is the task of determining the presence of an object in a noisy environment. We determine the optimal continuous variable states for quantum illumination in the limit of zero object reflectivity. We prove that the optimal single mode state is a coherent state, while the optimal two mode state is the two-mode squeezed-vacuum state. We find that these probes are not optimal at non-zero reflectivity, but remain near optimal. This demonstrates the viability of the continuous variable platform for an experimentally accessible, near optimal quantum illumination implementation.
Quantum target detection aims to utilise quantum technologies to achieve performances in target detection not possible through purely classical means. Quantum illumination is an example of this, based on signal-idler entanglement, promising a potential 6 dB advantage in error exponent over its optimal classical counterpart. So far, receiver designs achieving this optimal reception remain elusive with many proposals based on Gaussian processes appearing unable to utilise quantum information contained within Gaussian state sources. This paper considers the employment of a noiseless linear amplif…
It is well-known that quantum illumination with a two-mode squeezed vacuum state as an initial entangled bipartite state achieves $6$ dB quantum advantage in the error probability compared to classical coherent-state illumination. Is entanglement the only resource responsible for the quantum advantage? We explore this question by making use of squeezing operations. Finally, we conclude that the answer to the question is negative.
我们提出了在参考文献[S. Lloyd，Science 321，1463（2008）; S. Tan等人，物理修订版信函101，253601（2008）]，在基于光子数相关性的简单可行的实验方案中实现。我们的研究结果的一个主要成就是证明了量子协议对噪声和损耗的强大鲁棒性，这挑战了一些关于量子技术的普遍智慧。
Quantum illumination (QI) promises unprecedented performances in target detection but there are various problems surrounding its implementation. Where target ranging is a concern, signal and idler recombination forms a crucial barrier to the protocol's success. This could potentially be mitigated if performing a measurement on the idler mode could still yield a quantum advantage. In this paper we investigate the QI protocol for a generically correlated Gaussian source and study the phase-conjugating (PC) receiver, deriving the associated SNR in terms of the signal and idler energies, and their…
The advantages of using quantum states of light for object detection are often highlighted in schemes that use simultaneous and optimal measurements. Here, we describe a theoretical but experimentally realizable quantum illumination scheme based on non-simultaneous and non-optimal measurements which can maintain this advantage. In particular, we examine the multi-click heralded two mode squeezed vacuum state as a probe signal in a quantum illumination process. The increase in conditioned signal intensity associated with multi-click heralding is greater than that from a single detector-heralded…
In this article, the basic principle of target detection based on Gaussian state quantum illumination (QI) has introduced. The performance of such system has compared with its classical counterpart, which employs the most classical state of light, i.e., coherent state, to illuminate the target region. By deriving the maximum range equation, we have demonstrated that the quantum illumination based target detection system is especially advantageous at low transmission powers, which make these systems suitable for short range applications like biomedical imaging or covert detection schemes.
A quantum receiver is an essential element of quantum illumination (QI) which outperforms its classical counterpart, called classical-illumination (CI). However, there are only few proposals for realizable quantum receiver, which exploits nonlinear effects leading to increasing the complexity of receiver setups. To compensate this, in this article, we design a quantum receiver with linear optical elements for Gaussian QI. Rather than exploiting nonlinear effect, our receiver consists of a 50:50 beam splitter and homodyne detection. Using double homodyne detection after the 50:50 beam splitter,…
