The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has launched the Intensity-Squeezed Photonic Integration for Revolutionary Detectors, or INSPIRED, program, to break the quantum noise limit and enhance signal detection capabilities.
The agency said Monday the program intends to reduce the quantum noise limit in order to enhance the sensitivity of optical detectors enabling them to detect faint signals. This is necessary to convert light into measurable signals, which are essential in fiber-optic communication, biological imaging, motion sensors and other critical technologies.
Reducing Quantum Noise Limit
INSPIRED aims to harness “squeezed light,” a special kind of light manipulated to reduce quantum noise in measurements. By utilizing advanced chip-scale photonics technology, the program intends to create compact, integrated squeezed-light sources 40 times quieter than the quantum noise limit. These will then be utilized in developing highly sensitive detectors capable of overcoming traditional noise barriers and enhancing sensing, communication and quantum computing capabilities.
INSPIRED Program Framework
The three-year program has two phases. The first phase involves the development of core squeezed-light components while the second focuses on the completion of a squeezed-light detector.
Eight research teams will be involved in the program, including the University of California, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Santa Barbara, Stanford University, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, Yale University, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and RTX BBN Technologies.
