Passive optical superresolution at the quantum limit
Abstract
For more than a century, the diffraction limit has defined the resolution achievable by passive optical imaging systems. Although some resolution improvement can be gained through classical data processing of the image, it is limited by the noise arising from quantum nature of light. Minimizing the effect of this noise requires quantum treatment of optical imaging. By reformulating imaging as a problem of quantum measurement and estimation, it becomes possible to identify optimal detection strategies that recover spatial information previously thought inaccessible. This review summarizes the theoretical framework that underpins this development, from the formulation of quantum Cramer-Rao bounds and Chernoff bounds to the construction of receivers that attain them, such as those based on spatial-mode demultiplexing. We show how these methods can beat conventional imaging in the classification, localization, and imaging of sub-Rayleigh incoherent sources. We then discuss extensions to multiparameter and partially coherent scenarios, and highlight the unifying connections between estimation and discrimination tasks. Finally, we survey recent experimental demonstrations that approach quantum-limited resolution and outline emerging applications in microscopy, astronomy, and optical sensing.
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BibTeX
@misc{lvovsky2026passive,
title = {{Passive optical superresolution at the quantum limit}},
author = {A. I. Lvovsky and Michael R. Grace and Saikat Guha and Mankei Tsang and Gerardo Adesso and Nicolas Treps},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2605.10767},
eprint = {2605.10767},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.10767},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Passive optical superresolution at the quantum limit
AU - A. I. Lvovsky
AU - Michael R. Grace
AU - Saikat Guha
AU - Mankei Tsang
AU - Gerardo Adesso
AU - Nicolas Treps
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/15
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2605.10767
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.10767
AB - For more than a century, the diffraction limit has defined the resolution achievable by passive optical imaging systems. Although some resolution improvement can be gained through classical data processing of the image, it is limited by the noise arising from quantum nature of light. Minimizing the effect of this noise requires quantum treatment of optical imaging. By reformulating imaging as a problem of quantum measurement and estimation, it becomes possible to identify optimal detection strategies that recover spatial information previously thought inaccessible. This review summarizes the theoretical framework that underpins this development, from the formulation of quantum Cramer-Rao bounds and Chernoff bounds to the construction of receivers that attain them, such as those based on spatial-mode demultiplexing. We show how these methods can beat conventional imaging in the classification, localization, and imaging of sub-Rayleigh incoherent sources. We then discuss extensions to multiparameter and partially coherent scenarios, and highlight the unifying connections between estimation and discrimination tasks. Finally, we survey recent experimental demonstrations that approach quantum-limited resolution and outline emerging applications in microscopy, astronomy, and optical sensing.
ER -