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  • Open Access

Phase-subtractive interference and noise-resistant quantum imaging with two undetected photons

Chandler Tarrant and Mayukh Lahiri*

  • *Contact author: mlahiri@okstate.edu
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033210 – Published 19 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1ljx-h9x1

Abstract

We introduce and theoretically analyze a quantum interference phenomenon in which a two-photon interference pattern is created using four-photon quantum states generated by two independent sources and without detecting two of the photons. Contrary to the common perception, the interference pattern can be made fully independent of phases acquired by the photons detected to construct it. However, it still contains information about spatially dependent phases acquired by the two undetected photons. This phenomenon can be observed with both bosonic and fermionic particles. We show that the phenomenon can be harnessed to develop a quantum quantitative phase imaging technique that is immune to uncontrollable phase fluctuations in the interferometer and allows image acquisition without detecting the photons illuminating the object.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033210– Published 19 August, 2026
  • Received 30 June 2024
  • Accepted 13 July 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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