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QUANTUM IMAGES

Objective

The study of quantum aspects in optical images has been recently undertaken at the fundamental level of understanding. The aim of this project is to explore the applications emerging from this body of knowledge to the domain of information technology, by merging the fields of classical optical image processing and quantum optics. More precisely, the consortium intends to study how the spatial aspects of quantum entanglement of light can be used to improve the quality of image recording, processing and storage, and the sensitivity of optical measurements in images. It will also explore how quantum features can be used in the parallel processing of information.
The study of quantum aspects in optical images has been recently undertaken at the fundamental level of understanding. The aim of this project is to explore the applications emerging from this body of knowledge to the domain of information technology, by merging the fields of classical optical image processing and quantum optics. More precisely, the consortium intends to study how the spatial aspects of quantum entanglement of light can be used to improve the quality of image recording, processing and storage, and the sensitivity of optical measurements in images. It will also explore how quantum features can be used in the parallel processing of information.

OBJECTIVES
Information technologies, which mostly deal with single channel signals, involve more and more often the manipulation of more complex signals, for example when the information is contained in images, and also in parallel computing. Our general objective is to demonstrate that one can take advantage at the same time of the quantum mechanical aspects of light and of the fundamental and intrinsic parallelism of optical signals to develop new techniques in image and parallel information processing at the quantum level. It is in particular to show how, by tailoring the local quantum fluctuations and the spatial quantum correlations of light beams produced by various optical devices, one can improve the quality of different functions which are of great importance for information technologies, such as recording, encryption, storage, read-out, refreshment and duplication of optical information.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK
The key concept of our proposal is the exploration of QUANTUM SPATIAL ENTANGLEMENT OF LIGHT. In the different work packages, we will study different implementations of spatial quantum entanglement, in order to compare their performances and potentialities for applications in information technologies.
Each one includes:
a) the characterization of the classical properties of the system under study,
b) theoretical investigations, and experimental demonstrations for most of them, of their quantum properties,
c) investigations of their applications to information technologies.
Work Package 1 (WP) studies the spatial properties of parametric down-conversion, in travelling wave pulsed configurations. It will mainly focus on the experimental demonstration of the spatial Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen entanglement in signal-idler fields.
WP2 deals with travelling wave parametric amplification with very high gain. It will study the properties of noiseless image amplification and demonstrate the generation of two quantum-entangled copies of an input image.
WP3 deals with an optical parametric oscillation in optical cavities operating in a highly multimode configuration. It will study and demonstrate the existence of a spatial quantum entanglement in the field generated by such a system, and investigate its applications to parallel processing.
WP4 will theoretically study systems in which the polarisation of light plays an important role: this leads to an interplay between position and polarisation degrees of freedom, already successfully used in quantum teleportation, which opens new possibilities for quantum processing of information in images.
WP5 deals with spatial solutions, in a travelling wave configuration or in optical cavities, which are spatially localised diffraction-free structures which can be used as spatial bits of information. WP4 will study the properties and applications of spatial quantum correlations inside a given solution or between different solutions.
WP6 addresses the problem of image quality improvement using spatial correlations, for example the issue of improvement of optical data storage capacity, by reading bits separated by much less than the wavelength using spatial quantum entanglement of light.WP0 and WP7 deal respectively with the management and assessment/dissemination aspects of the project

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Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE PARIS
Address
45, rue d'ulm
75230 Paris cedex 05
France

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Participants (8)

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Last update: 13 June 2005

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/IST-2000-26019

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