A Proposed Method for a Photon-counting Laser Coherence Detection System to Complement Optical SETI

Benton, David M.

doi:10.1088/1538-3873/ab1a46

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…As with conventional laser detection the approaches taken have been on observing the relative brightness -either in high resolution spectroscopy [23], or in short pulse coincidence detection [24]. Benton [25] has recently shown that coherence detection can be applied to this problem at the level of single photon detection and can offer potential improvements in sensitivity to around 1 photon/m 2 /s and detection of both CW and pulsed lasers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laser detection utilizing coherence

Benton

Zandi

Sugden

2019

Technologies for Optical Countermeasures XVI

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laser detection utilizing coherence

Benton

Zandi

Sugden

2019

Technologies for Optical Countermeasures XVI

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“…), it was already suggested by Kingsley (1993) to employ heterodyne and homodyne detection. A recent proposal by Benton (2019) proposes a method for a photon-counting laser coherence detection system. Based on an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer, it is equally sensitive to pulsed and continuous signals.…”

Section: Laser Warners and Phase Coherencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, coherence detecting systems of various types, like laser warners, should be pointed towards the stars. One example is the asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer described by Benton (2019).…”

Section: Conclusion and Next Stepsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Searching for interstellar quantum communications

Hippke

2021

Preprint

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The modern search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) began with the seminal publications of Cocconi & Morrison (1959) and Schwartz & Townes (1961), who proposed to search for narrow-band signals in the radio spectrum, and for optical laser pulses. Over the last six decades, more than one hundred dedicated search programs have targeted these wavelengths; all with null results. All of these campaigns searched for classical communications, that is, for a significant number of photons above a noise threshold; with the assumption of a pattern encoded in time and/or frequency space. I argue that future searches should also target quantum communications. They are preferred over classical communications with regards to security and information efficiency, and they would have escaped detection in all previous searches. The measurement of Fock state photons or squeezed light would indicate the artificiality of a signal. I show that quantum coherence is feasible over interstellar distances, and explain for the first time how astronomers can search for quantum transmissions sent by ETI to Earth, using commercially available telescopes and receiver equipment.

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Searching for Interstellar Quantum Communications

Hippke

2021

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The modern search for extraterrestrial intelligence began with the seminal publications of Cocconi & Morrison and Schwartz & Townes, who proposed searching for narrowband signals in the radio spectrum and optical laser pulses. Over the last six decades, more than 100 dedicated search programs have targeted these wavelengths, all with null results. All of these campaigns searched for classical communications, that is, for a significant number of photons above a noise threshold, with the assumption of a pattern encoded in time and/or frequency space. I argue that future searches should also target quantum communications. They are preferred over classical communications with regard to security and information efficiency, and they would have escaped detection in all previous searches. The measurement of Fock state photons or squeezed light would indicate the artificiality of a signal. I show that quantum coherence is feasible over interstellar distances and explain for the first time how astronomers can search for quantum transmissions sent by ETI to Earth using commercially available telescopes and receiver equipment.

show abstract

A Proposed Method for a Photon-counting Laser Coherence Detection System to Complement Optical SETI

Cited by 3 publications

References 35 publications

Laser detection utilizing coherence

Laser detection utilizing coherence

Searching for interstellar quantum communications

Searching for Interstellar Quantum Communications

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