Chaotically seeded parametric downconversion for ghost imaging

Ghost-imaging protocols rely on the properties of correlation in propagation direction and in intensity between two spatially multimode fields. We present a detailed theoretical analysis and the experimental realization and characterization of ghost imaging experiments realized with a source of entangled fields based on parametric downconversion seeded with a single multimode thermal field. Eventually, an application of ghost imaging for secure transmission of images is envisaged. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America.