Do Quantum Measurement Advantages Survive to Astrophysical Inference? Seven Benchmarks in Optical Interferometry and Imaging
Abstract
Quantum techniques matter to optical astronomy when they preserve information in the parameter-bearing measurement channel after realistic loss, calibration, covariance, and inference are propagated to the final astrophysical observable. We compare 7 approaches by the quantity they change: internal optical-path delay, sub-Rayleigh source separation, coronagraphic planet throughput & stellar leakage, coherent field quadratures, nonlocal complex visibility, null depth, active phase sensing. In an Earth-analog astrometry case, 6-dB squeezed internal metrology improves the measured phase quadrature by 1.58 and the complete readout by ~1.20, but fixed-time planet-mass precision by only 1.010 (95 % interval 1.005-1.045); mission duration, useful baseline, cadence, calibration have greater modeled leverage. For a close young binary, signed spatial-mode demultiplexing preserves sub-Rayleigh orbital information that is substantially degraded in the tested direct-imaging comparator. A representative matched-model calculation gives a dynamical-mass RMSE gain 1.77 1.47-2.15). For illustrative equal-prior pre-main-sequence predictions at 0.10 and 0.12M⊙, mass precisions of 15%, 10%, 7% correspond to correct-selection probabilities of ~73%, 82%, 90%. The numerical gain remains provisional because the event-level continuous-image comparator, strict tail convergence, externally measured broadband transfer matrix, and finite-photon calibration are not yet closed. Modal coronagraphy and quantum-enhanced heterodyne reception define conditional receiver opportunities, while the nonlocal, nuller, and prepared-NOON cases identify physical bottlenecks that prevent an astrophysical advantage in the stated configurations. The common result is that quantum technology is most valuable when it changes an information-bearing observable and that channel remains consequential in the final science measurement.
Related
- Exponential quantum advantages for decoded quantum interferometry in the streaming setting
- Wafer alignment measurement using vortex beam interferometry and double diffraction by the same grating
- Learning Astrophysical Uncertainties in Dark Matter Direct Detection with Simulation-Based Inference
- Measurement of 75As(n,γ)76As reaction relevant to 0νββ decay searches of 76Ge and astrophysical s-process temperatures
- Measurement Entropy and Conditional Information in Time-Reversed Young Interferometry
BibTeX
@misc{turyshev2026quantum,
title = {{Do Quantum Measurement Advantages Survive to Astrophysical Inference? Seven Benchmarks in Optical Interferometry and Imaging}},
author = {Slava G. Turyshev},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.11974},
eprint = {2609.11974},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.11974},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Do Quantum Measurement Advantages Survive to Astrophysical Inference? Seven Benchmarks in Optical Interferometry and Imaging
AU - Slava G. Turyshev
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.11974
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.11974
AB - Quantum techniques matter to optical astronomy when they preserve information in the parameter-bearing measurement channel after realistic loss, calibration, covariance, and inference are propagated to the final astrophysical observable. We compare 7 approaches by the quantity they change: internal optical-path delay, sub-Rayleigh source separation, coronagraphic planet throughput & stellar leakage, coherent field quadratures, nonlocal complex visibility, null depth, active phase sensing. In an Earth-analog astrometry case, 6-dB squeezed internal metrology improves the measured phase quadrature by 1.58 and the complete readout by ~1.20, but fixed-time planet-mass precision by only 1.010 (95 % interval 1.005-1.045); mission duration, useful baseline, cadence, calibration have greater modeled leverage. For a close young binary, signed spatial-mode demultiplexing preserves sub-Rayleigh orbital information that is substantially degraded in the tested direct-imaging comparator. A representative matched-model calculation gives a dynamical-mass RMSE gain 1.77 1.47-2.15). For illustrative equal-prior pre-main-sequence predictions at 0.10 and 0.12M_⊙, mass precisions of 15%, 10%, 7% correspond to correct-selection probabilities of ~73%, 82%, 90%. The numerical gain remains provisional because the event-level continuous-image comparator, strict tail convergence, externally measured broadband transfer matrix, and finite-photon calibration are not yet closed. Modal coronagraphy and quantum-enhanced heterodyne reception define conditional receiver opportunities, while the nonlocal, nuller, and prepared-NOON cases identify physical bottlenecks that prevent an astrophysical advantage in the stated configurations. The common result is that quantum technology is most valuable when it changes an information-bearing observable and that channel remains consequential in the final science measurement.
ER -