Quantum LiDAR
What do you do when your lab space is too small to test the distance requirements for a new long-range sensor and detector in development? Alex Maierean and Luke Neal, graduate students at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) recently navigated this challenge for their latest project.
Their project is looking to advance one application of quantum sensing by incorporating techniques from quantum key distribution into light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors. These sensors are commonly used without quantum components for a wide variety of applications, including 3-dimensional imaging for self-driving vehicles, but have a very limited range and require bright laser beams with many photons to take a measurement.