Low-Complexity Degenerate Entanglement-Assisted Detection, Radars, LiDARs, and Triple-Function Radar-Communication-LiDAR System

We propose a low-complexity degenerate entanglement-assisted (DEA) system suitable for radar, communication, and LiDAR applications. The proposed DEA system employs on transmitter side a continuous wave (CW) dual-pump-based approach, a type-0 periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide, an optical bandpass filter, and a proposed single-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator. On receiver side, for communication and radar applications, the proposed balanced receiver is used as the entanglement-assisted detector. For LiDAR applications, on the other hand, the DEA detector array is used on receiver side. Two independent CW pump lasers operated at telecom wavelengths are employed in the dual-pump-based approach. For radar and LiDAR applications, the portion of degenerate entangled photons is employed as the reference signal and the rest to transmit the probe signal. We also propose a DEA triple-function radar-communication-LiDAR system. To demonstrate the quantum advantage, we conducted 1 Gb/s DEA radar and communication experiments over terrestrial free-space optical (FSO) link at the University of Arizona campus, between ECE Dept. and Optical Sciences Meinel buildings. We demonstrate that in the presence of the atmospheric turbulence in the saturation regime the proposed low-complexity DEA quantum radar and communication system outperform significantly corresponding classical counterparts.