Ghost Imaging and Quantum-Inspired Classical Optics

Dear Colleagues,

Ghost imaging (GI) is an advanced interdisciplinary technology that has evolved over the past three decades, integrating concepts from quantum information theory, nonlinear optics, coherence theory, Fourier optics, and structured light manipulation. This non-conventional imaging technique originally relied on quantum correlations between entangled photon pairs to retrieve object information. Interestingly, it was later discovered that classical light sources—such as thermal light—can inherently emulate this behaviour. This revelation not only sparked enduring debates regarding the quantum versus classical origins of GI but also stimulated the development of various computational imaging approaches, commonly referred to as single-pixel imaging or computational ghost imaging, which leverage structured illumination and single-pixel detection to achieve high-dimensional image reconstruction.

GI has demonstrated significant advantages in terms of cost efficiency and reduced radiation exposure, particularly in unconventional wavelength regimes such as X-ray and THz, where traditional imaging sensors are prohibitively expensive. While cutting-edge quantum optical technologies often require precision at the single-photon level, the transition from quantum to classical and computational frameworks has inspired novel classical optical applications, thus offering complementary capabilities under high-photon-flux conditions.

This Special Issue titled “Ghost Imaging and Quantum-Inspired Classical Optics” invites original basic, methodological, and applied research contributions, including regular and review articles. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Technological advancements in quantum imaging, ghost imaging, and single-pixel imaging;
• Advanced information theory related to quantum imaging and ghost imaging;
• Novel computational imaging methods inspired by quantum optics;
• Anomalous photon correlations in classical light beams;
• Two-photon interference, intensity interferometer, ghost interference, sub-wavelength interference, incoherent interference, etc.;
• Quantum-mimetic random light beams and structured-light analogues of quantum states.

Dr. Zhiyuan Ye
Dr. Baolei Liu
Dr. Chenyu Hu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• ghost imaging
• single-pixel imaging
• computational imaging
• quantum imaging
• quantum–classical correspondence
• intensity correlations
• incoherent interference