Sub-Rayleigh-diffraction-bound quantum imaging

Abstract

The spatial resolution of an imaging apparatus is limited by the Rayleigh diffraction bound, a consequence of the imager’s finite spatial extent. We show some N-photon strategies that permit resolution of details that are smaller than this bound, attaining either a 1∕√N enhancement (standard quantum limit) or a 1∕N enhancement (Heisenberg-like scaling) over standard techniques. In the incoherent imaging regime, the methods presented are loss resistant, since classical light sources suffice. Our results may be of importance in many applications: microscopy, telescopy, lithography, metrology, etc.