Quantum Inspired Telescope Imaging for Space Situational Awareness (QUINTISSA)

Recent imaging techniques inspired by the mathematics of quantum information claim to enable imaging beyond the traditional Rayleigh resolution limit. This is an example of “modal imaging” and is just one recent example of a much broader group of techniques developed over many decades that attempt to efficiently extract information from multidimensional systems using non-Fourier measurement bases. The DARPA Investigating Adaptive Modal Bases for Intelligent Classification (IAMBIC) program funded work that developed a cohesive and general theoretical framework for adaptively varying measurement bases in response to initial measurement data, but only considered shot noise for sub-Rayleigh-resolution imaging (for example, [1] and [2]). As opposed to measuring intensity in a fixed Fourier basis, modal measurement schemes attempt to achieve a near-optimal estimation of any desired feature of a scene. They are valid even deep into the sub-Rayleigh regime (e.g., [3]), and retain higher Quantum Fisher Information (QFI) than traditional methods, but this has only been demonstrated for theoretical noise-free scenarios (e.g., [2]). Modal imaging, adaptive imaging, quantum information science, signal estimation or other analytical/numerical techniques to address the specific problem of achieving the quantum bound on resolution for telescopy are henceforth referred to as super-resolution techniques. With a combination of optical instrumentation deployed to large astronomical telescopes, and post-processing analysis, QUINTISSA aims to expand super-resolution work to real-world imaging scenarios, investigate whether such near-optimal quantum super-resolution methods present quantifiable advantages over traditional imaging, and if so, how much. If advantageous over conventional direct imaging methods in real-world (noisy) measurement scenarios, QUINTISSA super-resolution methods could unlock several revolutionary advantages over traditional direct detection methods: (1) fewer photons needed for detection through hypothesis testing, (2) quicker or low-photon environment object localization and parameter estimation, (3) shorter integration times, and/or (4) robustness across high dynamic ranges, relevant to dim exoplanet detection in the vicinity of bright stars, all while at sub-Rayleigh resolutions. The goal of QUINTISSA is to conduct a series of experiments to collect real-world noisy data on binary and closely spaced multi-star systems using large ground-based astronomical telescopes [4], analyze proposed super-resolution algorithmic methods with this data, compare them directly to the results from conventional direct imaging, and characterize any advantages or disadvantages. It is of interest to characterize the advantage in both detecting multiple objects inside the traditional Rayleigh limit, and tracking multiple objects inside the Rayleigh limit once detected. Therefore, proposals must include both: Super-resolution Algorithms and Modeling: An in-depth explanation of the modal imaging algorithmic method and modeling methods proposed, with relevant peer-reviewed publications. These methods will be used for hypothesis pre-registration and analysis of collected telescope data. Proposers must clearly outline a distinct advantage of their method over traditional direct imaging for an ideal (no noise) scenario. Pre-registration modeling development under QUINTISSA should include, at a minimum, the following noise sources: background luminosity, weak atmospheric turbulence, motion blur/telescope pointing errors, distended/extended sources with finite size (not point sources), and a high dynamic range between two and more sub-Rayleigh objects (minimum of four orders of visual magnitude). On-sky Large Telescope Experimentation: An in-depth experiment plan that outlines the deployment of instrumentation to gather relevant telescope data through multiple on-sky experiment campaigns. Through a partnership with NASA Astrophysics, access to the Keck Telescope (Mauna Kea, Hawaii) may be possible, and should be baselined with the use of closed-loop adaptive optics in proposals. Proposers must demonstrate teaming that combines both: The modeling section of QUINTISSA will determine if the proposed super-resolution method is suitable for real-world applications or requires modification prior to on-sky deployment. The on-sky experimentation section of QUINTISSA will validate simulation-derived quantitative advantages with a rapidly prototyped real-world telescope observation campaign, for a closely spaced exoplanet-exostar pair(s), to include multiple unresolved stars. This will both determine if the high spatio-temporal phase variations of atmospheric turbulence affect the ideal measurement modes in the shot-noise-limited regime of low photon number (low signal-to-noise ratio), and quantify what quantum advantage remains, if any.