Astrophysically sourced quantum coherent photonic signals

Abstract

Stimulated emission is shown to be robust in stars. Through Bose enhancement this produces quantum states of aligned, monochromatic photons similar to a laser. The probability of creating such states is computed. We show that from the solar corona such quantum states would propagate outside of the solar region and through the Solar System without decoherence. For a $1 {\rm m}^2$ detector at the distance of the Earth from the Sun we estimate rates of such quantum states in the few per second thus potentially detectable. The same process should lead to such quantum states also arriving from stars at interstellar distances.