Quantum-inspired approach to increase LiDAR resolution

Researchers developed a quantum-inspired technique that can be used to perform lidar with a depth resolution that is much higher than conventional approaches.

Researchers have shown that a quantum-inspired technique can be used to perform LiDAR imaging with a much higher depth resolution than is possible with conventional approaches. LiDAR, which uses laser pulses to acquire 3D information about a scene or object, is usually best suited for imaging large objects such as topographical features or built structures due to its limited depth resolution.

The team has proposed a new technique, called imaging two-photon interference LiDAR. They showed that it can distinguish reflective surfaces less than 2 millimeters apart and create high-resolution 3D images with micron-scale resolution.

The new technique uses “quantum inspired” interferometry, which extracts information from the way that two light beams interfere with each other. Entangled pairs of photons are often used for this type of interferometry, but approaches based on photon entanglement tend to perform poorly in situations with high levels of light loss, which is almost always the case for lidar. To overcome this problem, the researchers applied what they’ve learned from quantum sensing to ‘non-quantum’ light.

When two identical photons meet at a beam splitter at the same time they will always stick together, or become entangled, and leave in the same direction. Classical light shows the same behavior but to a lesser degree: most of the time classical photons go in the same direction. The researchers used this property of classical light to very precisely time the arrival of one photon by looking at when two photons simultaneously arrive at detectors.

The researchers demonstrated the high depth resolution of two-photon interference LiDAR by using it to detect the two reflective surfaces of a piece of glass about 2 millimeters thick. Traditional LiDAR wouldn’t be able to distinguish these two surfaces, but the researchers were able to clearly measure the two surfaces. They also used the new method to create a detailed 3D map of a 20-pence coin with 7-micron depth resolution. This shows that the method could capture the level of detail necessary to differentiate key facial features or other differences between people.

Two-photon interference lidar also works very well at the single-photon level, which could enhance more complex imaging approaches used for non-line-of-sight imaging or imaging through highly scattering media.

The paper has been published in Optics Express.

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