There is a revolution in astronomy. In the past ten years, exoplanet studies have advanced considerably, and the first images of supermassive black holes have been captured.
Interferometry has advanced incredibly thanks to highly-sensitive instruments and the ability to share and combine data from observatories worldwide. The science of very-long baseline interferometry is opening a whole new world of possibilities.
A new quantum technique could enhance optical VLBI according to a recent study by researchers from Australia and Singapore. Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage is known asSTIRAP, which allows quantum information to be transferred without losses.
This technique could allow for observations into previously unavailable wavelengths. This technique could allow for more detailed studies of black holes, exoplanets, the Solar System, and the surfaces of distant stars.
The leader of the research was a research fellow at the Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems at the University of Sydney in Australia. She was joined by a professor of theoretical physics with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Centre of Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore and a senior research fellow with the Centre of Quantum.
Interferometry combines light from various telescopes to create images of an object that would otherwise be difficult to see.
A very-long baseline interferometry is a technique used in radio astronomy to create detailed images of black holes, quasars, pulsars, star-forming nebulae, etc.
The most detailed images of the Sagitarrius A* stars that are in the center of our galaxy have been provided by the VLBI.
Classical interferometry is hampered by a number of physical limitations, including information loss, noise, and the fact that the light obtained is generally quantum in nature. VLBI could be used for much more detailed surveys.
Current state-of-the-art large baseline scanning systems operate in the microwave band. To realize optical interferometry, you need all parts of the interferometer to be stable to within a fraction of a wavelength of light.
It is very difficult to do this over large distances because of the sources of noise, thermal expansion and contraction, and the losses associated with the optical elements.
The idea of this line of research is to allow us to move into the optical frequencies from microwaves. We can use the microwave to do large-baseline interferometry. Even the fastest electronics can't measure the electric field at these frequencies.
The key to overcoming these limitations is to use quantum communication techniques. Two coherent light pulse are used to transfer optical information between two quantum states.
It will allow for efficient population transfers between quantum states without the usual issues of noise or loss.
In their paper, they describe how the starlight would be combined with the dark states of the atomic states.
The next step is to combine the light with quantum error correction, a technique used in quantum computing to protect quantum information from errors.
This technique could allow for more detailed and accurate interferometry.
To mimic a large optical interferometer, the light must be collected and processed coherently, and we propose to use quantum error correction to mitigate errors due to loss and noise.
The area of quantum error correction is focused on enabling quantum computing in the presence of errors. We can perform the operations that extract the information we need from starlight while suppressing noise.
The team considered a scenario where two facilities separated by long distances collect light.
Each has its own set of quantum data that it prepares into some QEC code. The received quantum states are imprinted onto a shared QEC code, which protects the data from noisy operations.
The signal is captured into the quantum memories via the STIRAP technique, which allows the incoming light to be coherently coupled into a non-radiative state of an atom.
The ability to capture light from sources that account for quantum states would be a game-changer for interferometry. Other fields of astronomy are also being changed by these improvements.
By moving into optical frequencies, a quantum image network will improve resolution by three to five orders of magnitude.
It would be powerful enough to image small planets around nearby stars, details of solar systems, kinematics of stellar surfaces, accretion disks, and potentially details around the event horizon of black holes, none of which currently planned projects can resolve.
In the near future, the James Webb Space Telescope will use its advanced suite of instruments to study exoplanet atmospheres like never before. The same is true of ground-based telescopes.
The large primary mirrors, adaptive optics, coronagraphs, and spectrometers of these observatories will allow direct image studies of exoplanets, yielding valuable information about their surfaces and atmospheres.
New quantum techniques will allow observatories to capture images of some of the most difficult to see objects in the Universe. The secrets that this could reveal are going to be revolutionary.
The article was published by Universe Today. The original article is worth a read.
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