Long-distance temporal quantum ghost imaging over optical fibers

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel long-distance quantum ghost imaging scheme over 50 km of optical fiber using frequency-correlated photon pairs, enabling large-scale geographical quantum imaging applications.

Contribution

The paper introduces a new QGI scheme based on frequency correlation transformed into time domain correlation, suitable for long-distance fiber transmission.

Findings

Successfully demonstrated QGI over 50 km optical fibers.

Preserved frequency correlation enables large-scale geographical quantum imaging.

Scheme allows QGI in the time domain over long distances.

Abstract

Since the first quantum ghost imaging (QGI) experiment in 1995, many QGI schemes have been put forward. However, the position-position or momentum-momentum correlation required in these QGI schemes cannot be distributed over optical fibers, which limits their large geographical applications. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a scheme for long distance QGI utilizing frequency correlated photon pairs. In this scheme, the frequency correlation is transformed to the correlation between the illuminating position of one photon and the arrival time of the other photon, by which QGI can be realized in the time domain. Since frequency correlation can be preserved when the photon pairs are distributed over optical fibers, this scheme provides a way to realize long-distance QGI over large geographical scale. In the experiment, long distance QGI over 50 km optical fibers has been demonstrated.