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DOE OSTI · 3013671

Quantum imaging with positronium-decay-emitted gamma rays

Schneider, Alayna [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)] (ORCID:0009000547714654)·Mahon, Ryan [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)]·Goodrich, Justin [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)] (ORCID:0000000342829143)·Hanrahan, Joseph [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)]·Stoll, Sean [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000230118865)·Via, Cinzia Da [Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States); Univ. of Manchester (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000161547323)
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Abstract

The use of entangled gamma rays from positronium decay for quantum-enhanced imaging of dense materials is demonstrated. Quantum ghost images, where only one of the entangled 511-keV photons interacts with the object, are obtained for tantalum samples of varying density using a 210-ps time-resolution dual detector system and a Na-22 positron source. An analysis comparing both classical and quantum imaging modalities is employed to isolate true 511-keV events from background noise. Image quality is quantitatively assessed using transmission ratios and the Michelson contrast. Quantum-correlated images are found to exhibit superior (up to approximately 1.7x, from 0.49 to 0.83 in the thickest sample measured) contrast compared to classical methods and align well with theoretical expectations. These results suggest that quantum ghost imaging with positronium-based entangled gamma rays could significantly enhance noninvasive imaging of high-density objects, with potential applications in areas such as cargo inspection and security screening.

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCEGamma-ray techniquesGhost imagingQuantum optics

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Schneider, Alayna [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)] (ORCID:0009000547714654), Mahon, Ryan [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)], Goodrich, Justin [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)] (ORCID:0000000342829143), Hanrahan, Joseph [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)], Stoll, Sean [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000230118865), Via, Cinzia Da [Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States); Univ. of Manchester (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000161547323). 2026-01-09. Quantum imaging with positronium-decay-emitted gamma rays. https://doi.org/10.1103/srl4-t5hl

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DOE OSTI2026

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗