Super-Resolution at the Shot-Noise Limit with Coherent States and Photon-Number-Resolving Detectors

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that using coherent states with photon-number-resolving detectors can achieve super-resolution beyond the Rayleigh limit at the shot-noise sensitivity level, even under high photon loss conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel detection scheme combining coherent states and photon-number-resolving detectors for super-resolution at the shot-noise limit.

Findings

Achieves super-resolution below Rayleigh limit.

Maintains shot-noise sensitivity with high photon loss.

Applicable to quantum LADAR and remote sensing.

Abstract

There has been much recent interest in quantum optical interferometry for applications to metrology, sub-wavelength imaging, and remote sensing, such as in quantum laser radar (LADAR). For quantum LADAR, atmospheric absorption rapidly degrades any quantum state of light, so that for high-photon loss the optimal strategy is to transmit coherent states of light, which suffer no worse loss than the Beer law for classical optical attenuation, and which provides sensitivity at the shot-noise limit. This approach leaves open the question -- what is the optimal detection scheme for such states in order to provide the best possible resolution? We show that coherent light coupled with photon number resolving detectors can provide a super-resolution much below the Rayleigh diffraction limit, with sensitivity no worse than shot-noise in terms of the detected photon power.