Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering 2024

Title: Enhancing Sensing Modalities Using Non-Classical Light

Abstract: In this talk I shall discuss quantum enhanced and quantum inspired LiDAR. The latter inherits the advantages of quantum LiDAR while completely circumvents their power limitations. It is based on two novel principles simultaneously: (1) using high power classical time-frequency correlation that is closely related to non-classical time-frequency entanglement and (2) using a novel frequency conversion technique to analyze such correlation with unprecedented efficiency and accuracy.

The LiDAR proposed, analyzed, and demonstrated combines the enhancement of quantum LiDARs and practical implementation of classical LiDARs. It exhibits unrivaled performance in noise rejection, sensitivity, detection range and resolution, compared to other published work in the field to date as will be discussed.

More specifically, the LiDAR receiver used here is almost completely immune to indistinguishable jamming or crosstalk noise that is impossible to reject using conventional time-frequency filtering techniques. This is simply the highest noise resilience reported and the closest report is 30 dB smaller and it is fully quantum on optical bench with a target that is in fiber.

Such resilience to indistinguishable noise (that is in band and cannot be removed by filtering) also allows for clandestine operation; meaning that the LiDAR transmitter can be completely invisible to the target object or other unauthorized receivers.

Biography: Amr S. Helmy is a Professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Toronto. Prior to his academic career, Amr held a position at Agilent Technologies – UK, between 2000 and 2004. At Agilent his responsibilities included developing lasers and monolithically integrated optoelectronic circuits. He received his Ph.D. and M.Sc. from the University of Glasgow with a focus on photonic integration technologies, in 1999 and 1995 respectively.

His research interests include photonic device physics, with emphasis on plasmonic nanostructures, nonlinear and quantum photonics addressing applications in information processing / sensing, and data communications. Amr is an active volunteer and leader of the IEEE Photonics Society, currently serving as an Elected Member of the Society’s Board of Governors and as a Distinguished Lecturer. He was also the recipient of the Society’s 2019 Distinguished Service Award.