Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42018617›Full record

ArticleScience advances2026

Quantum interference of single photons without optical superposition: Toward high resolution imaging in spatial and spectral domains.

Yunxiao Zhang, Liang Cui, Xueshi Guo, Guohui Kang, Wen Zhao, Qiqi Deng, Xuan Tang, Xiaoying Li, Chuanfeng Li, Z Y Ou

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Science advances, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Yunxiao ZhangThe State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China.ORCID 0000-0002-5767-6859
Liang CuiThe State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China.ORCID 0000-0002-1031-1051
Xueshi GuoThe State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China.ORCID 0000-0002-3115-8826
Guohui KangThe State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China.
Wen ZhaoThe State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China.ORCID 0000-0002-0715-9343
Qiqi DengThe State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China.ORCID 0009-0003-0008-3504
Xuan TangDepartment of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China.ORCID 0009-0008-2679-6250
Xiaoying LiThe State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China.ORCID 0000-0002-3635-1270
Chuanfeng LiCAS Key Lab of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 P. R. China.ORCID 0000-0001-6815-8929
Z Y OuDepartment of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Observation of the universe demands telescopes with high resolution. In the optical band, traditional interference requires bringing interfering fields together, which limits the resolution due to the restricted length of baseline. Here we demonstrate the very long-baseline interferometer (VLBI) in optical band, where two interfering fields never met each other. In particular, we report the first quantum interference observation when the input of VLBI is single-photon state. Interference is recovered after measuring the amplitudes of photon fields and digitally processing the signals of quantum receivers. Moreover, we analyze interference in time and spectral domains for broadband thermal light input and show that the ultrahigh spectral resolution can improve the precision of radial velocity to 0.08 centimeters per second, which is 2 orders of magnitude better than that achievable at the current stage. Further, we apply the spectrally resolved interference in distinguishing two independent sources with angular resolutions beyond diffraction limit. Our investigations have a profound effect on the VLBI, quantum optics, and precision measurement.

Identifiers

PMID42018617
PMCPMC13101880

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.