Scientists at the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Physics have developed a quantum-inspired super-resolving spectrometer for short pulses of light, capable of distinguishing close-by channels or spectroscopic lines with unprecedented precision. The device, called SUSI, was designed by Prof. Michał Parniak and Michał Lipka in the Quantum Optical Devices Lab at the Centre for Quantum Optical Technologies.
This breakthrough technology has far-reaching implications for optical and quantum networks, as well as spectroscopic studies of matter. By harnessing the power of quantum-inspired super-resolution methods, SUSI can overcome the limitations imposed by the Rayleigh criterion, which previously made it difficult to distinguish overlapping channels. The researchers’ innovative approach involves inverting the spectral line representation, allowing for a significant increase in resolution without generating noise. This achievement has the potential to revolutionize various fields, including telecommunications and spectroscopy applications.
Quantum-Inspired Spectroscopy Breakthrough
A team of researchers from the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Physics has developed a quantum-inspired super-resolving spectrometer for short pulses of light, which can be miniaturized on a photonic chip and applied in optical and quantum networks as well as in spectroscopic studies of matter. The invention, called SUSI (Super-Resolving Spectrometer for Ultrafast Pulses), was presented in the journal “Optica”.
The working principle of the SUSI device is similar to quantum-inspired super-resolution methods in imaging. However, the challenge was to translate these ideas to the realm of time and frequency. According to Michał Lipka, a doctoral candidate at the UW’s Faculty of Physics and co-creator of the device, “the greatest challenge was how to translate these ideas to the realm of time and frequency.”
The Importance of Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the various colors, or spectrum, of light. A chemical substance will emit its characteristic colors by which it can be identified. Similarly, a distant star will also have a specific spectrum of light, through which we can understand its astrophysical properties such as size or age. Different colors of light are also used to transmit information over channels in fiber networks, similar to how different radio bands are used to transmit many channels at the same time.
In all these cases, a difficult task is to distinguish close-by channels or spectroscopic lines. In the past, it was thought that if channels overlap, they are almost impossible to distinguish – a property studied by Lord Rayleigh and later termed the Rayleigh criterion. However, progress in quantum information science has allowed us to understand that traditional direct imaging or spectroscopy discards part of the information carried in the phase of the complex electromagnetic field of light.
Quantum-Inspired Super-Resolution Techniques
Quantum-inspired super-resolution techniques transform the complex electromagnetic field before it is detected to optimally use this latent information. In super-resolved quantum imaging, the light coming from the object is split into two arms of an interferometer. One arm contains a device that inverts (flips) the image. Then the inverted part interferes with the original one.
By applying modulation techniques, the researchers were able to invert the spectral line representation, i.e., the color blue became red and red became blue. Then all that was left was to measure the photons at the output of their interferometer and observe that it had a better resolution than a classical spectrometer.
Advantages and Applications
The presented invention works for any spectral range and does not generate noise like all previous implementations, which is a promising aspect in the context of telecommunications and spectroscopy applications. The SUSI device has the potential to be miniaturized on a photonic chip and applied in optical and quantum networks as well as in spectroscopic studies of matter.
The research was funded by the National Science Centre as part of a PRELUDIUM grant. The breakthrough has significant implications for various fields, including telecommunications, spectroscopy, and astrophysics, where the ability to distinguish close-by channels or spectroscopic lines is crucial.
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