ESTIMATING DISTANCES BETWEEN MULTIPLE POINT IMAGE SOURCES WITH QUANTUM IMAGING

Method for estimating separation distances between a plurality of image sources in a multi-point source imaging system includes: receiving a plurality of light beams, each from a respective image source and having a quantum state mode; constructing a point spread function (PSF) for light beams specific to a symmetry of the image sources; calculating a quantum Fourier transform on the quantum state mode of the plurality of light beams that achieves a quantum limit in a paraxial approximation regime to estimate separation of image sources at the quantum limit to transform the light beams; detecting the transformed light beams to generate electrical signals from respective transformed light beams; and performing signal processing on the electrical signals to estimate the separation distances between the plurality of image sources.