Nicolas Produit
University of Geneva, Switzerland
Quantum Astronomy: Maximizing the Information Extracted from Light
Light carries more information than is captured by conventional measurements of direction, time of arrival, energy, and polarization. While these parameters enable images, light curves, spectra, and polarization maps, quantum field theory shows that correlations between photons can reveal far richer data.
The Hanbury Brown and Twiss (HBT) intensity correlation method—long
abandoned due to practical limitations and early theoretical misunderstandings—can now be revitalized. Roy Glauber’s Nobel Prize–winning work
(2005) provided the correct quantum framework, opening the door to unprecedented observational capabilities.
With advances in large-telescope access, picosecond photon timing, and clock synchronization over hundreds of kilometers, we aim to improve HBT sensitivity by several orders of magnitude. I will present our progress, initial laboratory and astronomical results, and our roadmap for applying this technique to key astrophysical questions. Looking forward, correlating astronomical photons with entangled photons could extend these methods beyond current limits.