Quantum ghost imaging works using only sunlight in stunning new experiment
Researchers have successfully used sunlight to create quantum-linked photon pairs, enabling ghost imaging without lasers. This innovative approach involves a sun-tracking system that directs sunlight into a nonlinear crystal, generating strongly correlated photons. The resulting images achieved quality comparable to traditional laser systems, showcasing the potential for sunlight-powered quantum optics.
- ▪Scientists have turned sunlight into a quantum imaging tool for the first time.
- ▪The setup uses a sun-tracking device to funnel sunlight into a nonlinear crystal for photon generation.
- ▪The sunlight-powered system achieved ghost-imaging visibility close to that of a standard laser.
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| Original publisher | ScienceDaily |
| Canonical URL | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260517211424.htm |
| Publication time | Sun, 17 May 2026 22:30:16 EDT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-18T02:42:12.723Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-18T02:42:12.723Z |
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Science News from research organizations Quantum ghost imaging works using only sunlight in stunning new experiment Scientists turned sunlight into a quantum imaging tool, generating correlated photons without using a laser for the first time. Date: May 17, 2026 Source: SPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics Summary: Scientists have achieved something that once sounded almost impossible: using ordinary sunlight to create quantum-linked photon pairs, a phenomenon normally dependent on precise laboratory lasers. By building a sun-tracking system that funnels sunlight through optical fiber into a special crystal, researchers generated strongly correlated photons capable of performing “ghost imaging,” where images are reconstructed indirectly through quantum correlations.
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