Raytheon BBN Technologies

Raytheon BBN is exploring concepts for using quantum states in remote sensing applications. Successful development of such concepts would allow Radar, Laser Radar (LADAR), and other remote sensing systems to exceed the performance limits of today’s technology, which use only classical (non-quantum) states. Raytheon BBN is part of a team that has proposed a concept for improving LADAR sensors, which can interrogate targets at a distance of 10 km using infrared light at wavelengths around 1.0 micron. Specifically, we proposed adding two pieces of quantum technology to an optical homodyne receiver: first, the use of squeezed vacuum injections to overcome reduced signal-to-noise (SNR) from soft-aperture loss of high spatial frequency image components; and second, the use of phase-sensitive amplification to overcome loss of SNR due to inefficient photo-detection.

Raytheon BBN led a modeling effort that showed that these concepts could improve the resolution of a LADAR system by approximately 10 times (three times in each transverse dimension). Now the team is building a testbed LADAR system that aims to demonstrate the improvements afforded by each of PSA and SVI. Successful transition of this technology to military LADAR systems would improve the ability to clearly distinguish two or more closely spaced objects or resolve high frequency features in remote imaging.