Popper's test of quantum mechanics and two-photon "ghost" diffraction

Ghost Diffraction: Causal Explanation via Correlated Trajectory Calculations

We use trajectory calculations to successfully explain two-photon "ghost" diffraction, a phenomenon previously explained via quantum mechanical entanglement. The diffraction patterns are accumulated one photon pair at a time. The calculations are based on initial correlation of the trajectories in the crystal source and a trajectory-wave ordering interaction with a variant generator inherent in its structure. Details are presented in comparison with ordinary diffraction calculated with the same trajectory model.

Ghost interference and diffraction based on the beam splitter

A simple scheme is proposed for observing the ghost interference and diffraction. The signal and the idler beams are produced by a beam splitter with the incident light being in a thermal state. A slit is inserted into the signal beam. We derive rigorously that interference-diffraction patterns can be observed in the first-order correlation by scanning the probe in the idler beam.

Wave-Packet Analysis of Single-Slit Ghost Diffraction

We show that single-slit two-photon ghost diffraction can be explained very simply by using a wave-packet evolution of a generalised EPR state. Diffraction of a wave travelling in the x-direction can be described in terms of the spreading in time of the transverse (z-direction) wave-packet, within the Fresnel approximation. The slit is assumed to truncate the transverse part of the wavefunction of the photon to within the width of the slit. The analysis reproduces all features of the two-photon single-slit ghost diffraction.

Coherent imaging with pseudo-thermal incoherent light

We investigate experimentally fundamental properties of coherent ghost imaging using spatially incoherent beams generated from a pseudo-thermal source. A complementarity between the coherence of the beams and the correlation between them is demonstrated by showing a complementarity between ghost diffraction and ordinary diffraction patterns. In order for the ghost imaging scheme to work it is therefore crucial to have incoherent beams. The visibility of the information is shown for the ghost image to become better as the object size relative to the speckle size is decreased, and therefore a re…

Correlations in interference and diffraction

Quantum formalism of Fraunhofer diffraction is obtained. The state of the diffraction optical field is connected with the state of the incident optical field by a diffraction factor. Based on this formalism, correlations of the diffraction modes are calculated with different kinds of incident optical fields. Influence of correlations of the incident modes on the diffraction pattern is analyzed and an explanation of the ''ghost'' diffraction is proposed.

Fully-Quantum-Theoretic Numerical Study on Quantum Phase Sensing and Ghost Imaging Systems Operating with Multimode N00N States

We present a numerical study on the super-resolution of quantum phase sensing and ghost imaging systems operating with multimode N00N states beyond the Rayleigh diffraction limit. Our computational simulations are based on the canonical quantization via numerical mode-decomposition (CQ-NMD) [1,2], in which normal (eigen) modes of electromagnetic fields in inhomogeneous dielectric media are numerically found using computational electromagnetics methods. In the CQ-NMD framework and the Heisenberg picture, the expectation value of arbitrary observables with respect to initial quantum states of va…

Quantum Imaging

One of the most surprising consequences of quantum mechanics is the entanglement of two or more distant particles. Although questions regarding fundamental issues of quantum theory still exist, quantum entanglement has started to play important roles in practical engineering applications. Quantum imaging is one of these exciting areas. Quantum imaging has demonstrated two peculiar features: (1) reproducing "ghost" images in a "nonlocal" manner, and (2) enhancing the spatial resolution of imaging beyond the diffraction limit. In this article, we start with the review of classical imaging to est…

Spatial Resolution Enhancement in Quantum Imaging beyond the Diffraction Limit Using Entangled Photon-Number State

In this paper we study the resolution of images illuminated by sources composed of $N+1$ photons in which one non-degenerate photon is entangled with $N$ degenerate photons. The $N$ degenerate photons illuminate an object and are collected by an $N$ photon detector. The signal from the $N$ photon detector is measured in coincidence with the non-degenerate photon giving rise to a ghost image. We discuss the case of three photons in various configurations and generalize to $N+1$. Using the Rayleigh criterion, we find that the system may give an improvement in resolution by a factor of $N$ compar…

基于空间纠缠光子的定量相位梯度显微镜

Quantitative phase gradient microscopy with spatially entangled photons

本研究提出了一种基于空间纠缠光子的新型定量相位梯度显微镜技术，实现了高分辨率和高灵敏度的相位与振幅成像，突破了传统方法的限制。

Gaussian-State Theory of Two-Photon Imaging

Biphoton states of signal and idler fields--obtained from spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) in the low-brightness, low-flux regime--have been utilized in several quantum imaging configurations to exceed the resolution performance of conventional imagers that employ coherent-state or thermal light. Recent work--using the full Gaussian-state description of SPDC--has shown that the same resolution performance seen in quantum optical coherence tomography and the same imaging characteristics found in quantum ghost imaging can be realized by classical-state imagers that make use of phase-…

走向量子力学的确定性解释：来自动力系统的启示

Towards a Deterministic Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: Insights from Dynamical Systems

本文提出一个具有局域相互作用的确定性动力系统，在自由空间运动、双缝衍射和超光速势垒穿越三个典型例子中重现类量子行为，并展示向经典极限的分岔，为量子力学提供确定性替代解释。