Quantum Ghost Imaging Through an Atmospheric Turbulence Simulator

Date of Award

3-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Engineering Physics

First Advisor

Keith A. Wyman, PhD

Abstract

The use of single photons and photon pairs has become a cornerstone for new developments in the sensing and imaging community for their ability to improve image resolution and signal to noise readings in low light environments and large standoff distances. Quantum imaging techniques have an ability to overcome the fundamental limits of classical imaging, like diffraction. Quantum ghost imaging, a specific type of quantum imaging, uses a bi-photon pair produced during the process of spontaneous parametric down conversion to produce an image. The pair is split using a beam splitter, the signal photon is transmitted through an aperture and collected by a bucket detector and the idler photon is collected by a scanning fiber providing the spatial information of the image. The joint detection events between the bucket detector resolves either an image of the object in the signal photon's path or the diffraction pattern of the object depending on the lens configuration. Real world applications of ghost imaging will have to contend with atmospheric turbulence. Characterizing ghost imaging performance under a myriad of turbulence strength is a vital step into making ghost imaging an operational technology. In this thesis, we take the first step which is to study a diffraction quantum ghost imaging experiment. Using a preexisting atmospheric turbulence simulator, we incorporated a transmissive ghost diffraction set up into our optical system. The experimental design produced a Gaussian profile of the coincidence counts between the signal and idler arms of the system, instead of a ghost diffraction pattern. We suspect this is either due to a lack of two-photon interference, varying count rates in the idler arm across the scanning fiber, or a loss in the momentum correlation between the signal and idler photons. Further, study into these possibilities is required in order to successfully acquire a ghost diffraction pattern and continue our exploration into the impact of atmospheric turbulence.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENP-MS-25-M-222

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