Ghost Imaging with Thermal Light: Comparing Entanglement and Classical Correlation

We consider a scheme for coherent imaging that exploits the classical correlation of two beams obtained by splitting incoherent thermal radiation. This case is analyzed in parallel with the configuration based on two entangled beams produced by parametric down-conversion, and a precise formal analogy is pointed out. This analogy opens the possibility of using classical beams from thermal radiation for ghost imaging schemes in the same way as entangled beams.