Quantum Radars and Lidars: Concepts, realizations, and perspectives

TL;DR

This paper reviews quantum radars and lidars, comparing them with classical systems, exploring quantum sensing protocols like quantum illumination, and discussing potential for enhanced sensitivity and resolution using quantum correlations.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of quantum radar concepts, realizations, and perspectives, highlighting differences from classical radars and discussing practical quantum state generation.

Findings

Quantum illumination enables enhanced target detection.

Quantum correlations can improve sensing sensitivity.

Various realizations of quantum radars are feasible.

Abstract

In this article, we review the basic concepts of quantum radars as such types of the devices while highlighting differences with their classical analogs. We discuss how several concepts from traditional radars technology, e.g., target detection sensitivity, noise resilience and ranging accuracy can be translated to quantum radars. We examine such new far-field sensing protocols as quantum illumination (QI), and engineering opportunities enabled by its different realizations. We consider possibilities of achieving super-sensitivity and super-resolution using quantum correlations, and discuss possibilities to create quantum correlated states in practice.