Quantum telescopes

In the 20th century, quantum mechanics connected the particle and wave concepts of light and thereby made mechanisms accessible that had never been imagined before. Processes such as stimulated emission and quantum entanglement have revolutionized modern technology. But even though astronomical observations rely on novel technolo-gies, the optical layout of telescopes has fundamentally remained unchanged. While there is no doubt that Huyghens and Newton would be astounded by the size of our modern telescopes, they would nevertheless understand their optical design. The time may now have come to consider quantum telescopes, that make use of the fundamental scientific changes brought along by quantum mechanics. While one aim is to entertain our reader, our main purpose is to explore the possible future evolution of telescopes. Ever larger telescopes Figure 1: The Big Forty Foot telescope in Berkshire, near Windsor castle. Built 1785-1789 by William and Caroline Herschel, it remained the world’s largest telescope for over 50 years. Since the telescope was first invented, astronomers have striven to build ever larger telescopes. Image 1 shows the Great Forty Foot, built by William Herschel and his sister Caroline. Its aperture 1 a