Towards quantum-enhanced long-baseline optical/near-IR interferometry

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of quantum techniques to overcome technological barriers in long-baseline optical/near-IR interferometry, aiming to enable microarcsecond resolution for breakthrough astronomical science.

Contribution

It presents a technology roadmap and initial experimental steps towards quantum-enhanced long-baseline interferometry using entangled photon states.

Findings

Proposed a quantum approach to mitigate photon loss and phase errors in long-baseline interferometry.

Outlined a plan for on-sky demonstration of quantum coherence measurement over short baselines.

Discussed the integration of Gottesman protocol in quantum optical interferometry.

Abstract

Microarcsecond resolutions afforded by an optical-NIR array with kilometer-baselines would enable breakthrough science. However significant technology barriers exist in transporting weakly coherent photon states over these distances: primarily photon loss and phase errors. Quantum telescopy, using entangled states to link spatially separated apertures, offers a possible solution to the loss of photons. We report on an initiative launched by NSF NOIRLab in collaboration with the Center for Quantum Networks and Arizona Quantum Initiative at the University of Arizona, Tucson, to explore these concepts further. A brief description of the quantum concepts and a possible technology roadmap towards a quantum-enhanced very long baseline optical-NIR interferometric array is presented. An on-sky demonstration of measuring spatial coherence of photons with apertures linked through the simplest Gottesman protocol over short baselines and with limited phase fluctuations is envisaged as the first step.