Sharper Images Become Possible with New Turbulence Measurement Technique Employing Quantum Metrology

A thorough investigation into the fundamental limits of atmospheric turbulence estimation using quantum metrology reveals a pathway to sharply improved precision. A. Hrebeniuk and colleagues at National Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with CNRS, Bogolyubov Institute, and Kyiv Academic University, show that spatial-mode decomposition, a technique initially developed for superresolution imaging, allows for more accurate estimation of the Fried parameter than traditional methods when receiver apertures are small relative to the atmospheric coherence radius. The work establishes a quantum-limited precision benchmark and offers potential advancements for optical systems operating in turbulent conditions. A 1.84-fold improvement in estimating the atmospheric coherence radius, known as the Fried parameter (r0), was achieved using spatial-mode decomposition compared…