Coherent devices for single photon quantum imaging

前言激光雷达三维成像是一项应用广泛的新兴技术，包括用于驾驶员辅助车辆和自动驾驶车辆的传感器。基于对反射激光的探测，现有系统的性能受到了对远距离物体返回的微弱光信号的解析的限制。另一种方法是感知量子光态，如单光子，由于其优越的灵敏度，有望实现比传统成像技术更远距离的量子成像。目的单光子成像的一个关键挑战是相干照明源和控制器的开发。该项目将研究和开发红外激光阵列的物理和应用，这些激光阵列将被操纵以控制源之间的干扰，以在纳秒时间尺度上设计出超过100米的空间照明图案。预期的结果将是一种新型的高速红外激光阵列，用于最先进的单光子激光雷达。

IntroductionThree-dimensional imaging with LiDAR is an emerging technology with many applications, including sensors for driver assisted and autonomous vehicles. Based on detection of reflected laser light, the performance of existing systems is limited by resolving the faint optical signals returned from distant objects. An alternative approach is sensing quantum light states such as single photons, promising quantum imaging over further distances than possible with classical imaging techniques due to superior sensitivity.ObjectiveA key challenge in single photon imaging is the development of the coherent illumination sources and controllers. This project will research and develop the physics and applications of arrays of infrared lasers, which will be manipulated to control interference between sources to engineer the spatial illumination pattern over 100s of metres, on nanosecond timescales. The expected outcome will be a new type of high-speed infrared laser array for state of the art single photon LiDAR.