Quantum-Assisted Telescope Arrays

Quantum networks provide a platform for astronomical interferometers capable of imaging faint stellar objects. We present a protocol with efficient use of quantum resources and modest quantum memories. In our approach, the quantum state of incoming photons along with an arrival time index is stored in a binary qubit code at each receiver. Nonlocal retrieval of the quantum state via entanglement-assisted parity checks at the expected photon arrival rate allows for direct extraction of phase difference, effectively circumventing transmission losses between nodes. Compared to prior proposals, our scheme, based on efficient quantum data compression, offers an exponential decrease in required entanglement bandwidth. We show that it can be operated as a broadband interferometer and generalized to multiple nodes. We also analyze how imaging based on the quantum Fourier transform provides improved signal-to-noise ratio compared to classical processing. Finally, we discuss physical realizations including photon detection-based quantum state transfer. Experimental implementation is then feasible with near-term technology, enabling optical imaging of astronomical objects akin to well-established radio interferometers and pushing resolution beyond what is practically achievable classically.