Classically entangled optical beams for high-speed kinematic sensing

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel optical sensing method using classically entangled vector beams, enabling real-time, high-speed tracking of fast-moving objects with bandwidth surpassing traditional imaging devices.

Contribution

It presents a new classical entanglement-based approach for high-speed kinematic sensing, outperforming existing optical methods in temporal resolution.

Findings

Achieved real-time 2D sensing in the GHz range.

Demonstrated correlation-based measurement with few photodiodes.

Outperformed traditional CCD/CMOS bandwidth limitations.

Abstract

Tracking the kinematics of fast-moving objects is an important diagnostic tool for science and engineering. Existing optical methods include high-speed CCD/CMOS imaging, streak cameras, lidar, serial time-encoded imaging and sequentially timed all-optical mapping. Here, we demonstrate an entirely new approach to positional and directional sensing based on the concept of classical entanglement in vector beams of light. The measurement principle relies on the intrinsic correlations existing in such beams between transverse spatial modes and polarization. The latter can be determined from intensity measurements with only a few fast photodiodes, greatly outperforming the bandwidth of current CCD/CMOS devices. In this way, our setup enables two-dimensional real-time sensing with temporal resolution in the GHz range. We expect the concept to open up new directions in photonics-based metrology and sensing.