Microwave Quantum Illumination via Cavity Magnonics

Abstract: Quantum illumination (QI) is a quantum sensing protocol mainly for target detection which uses entangled signal-idler photon pairs to enhance the detection efficiency of low-reflectivity objects immersed in thermal noisy environments. Especially, due to the naturally occurring background radiation, the photon emitted toward potential targets more appropriately lies in the microwave region. Here, we propose a hybrid quantum source based on cavity magnonics for microwave QI, where the medium that bridges the optical and the microwave modes is magnon, the quanta of spin wave. Within experimentally accessible parameters, significant microwave-optical quantum resources of interest can be generated, leading to orders of magnitude lower detecting error probability compared with the electro-optomechanical prototype quantum radar and any classical microwave radar with equal transmitted energy.