[Seminar] Quantum-enabled optical very long baseline interferometry – the future of tomorrow’s telescopes

Dr Zixin Huang, School of Science, College of STEM, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract:

Optical Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) offers the potential for unprecedented angular resolution in both astronomical imaging and geodesy measurements. Classical approaches face limitations due to photon loss, background noise, and their need for dynamical delay lines over large distances. This review surveys recent developments in quantum-enabled optical VLBI that address these challenges using entanglement-assisted protocols, quantum memory storage, and nonlocal measurement techniques. While its application to astronomy is well known, we also examine how these techniques may be extended to geodesy–specifically, the monitoring of Earth’s rotation. Particular attention is given to quantum-enhanced telescope architectures, including repeater-based long-baseline interferometry and quantum error-corrected encoding schemes, which offer a pathway toward high-fidelity optical VLBI. To aid the discussion, we also compare specifications for key enabling technologies to current state-of-the-art experimental components. By integrating quantum technologies, future interferometric networks may achieve diffraction-limited imaging at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, surpassing the constraints of classical techniques and enabling new precision tests of astrophysical and fundamental physics phenomena.

Biography:

Dr Zixin Huang obtained her PhD in quantum photonics at the University of Sydney, before moving to the University of Sheffield (UK) for a postdoctoral position as part of the Quantum Communications Hub. She was a Sydney Quantum Academy Fellow and DECRA Fellow at  Macquarie University; she is currently a DECRA and RMIT VC Senior Research Fellow; her research explores quantum sensing, imaging, and how astronomers can utilise enhanced quantum imaging to probe deeper into space with unprecedented resolution.