Occlusion Interferometry - Inferring Hidden Objects via Quantum Path Elimination in Interference Patterns

We introduce Occlusion Interferometry as a conceptual framework in which the presence of hidden or eclipsed objects is inferred by analysing modifications in optical interference patterns caused by the elimination of light paths. Unlike conventional non-line-of-sight imaging methods that rely on scattered, reflected, or time-of-flight light, this approach is motivated by the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics and coherent wave optics, in which the observed interference field can be understood as arising from contributions across an ensemble of possible propagation paths. We propose that a hidden object's influence manifests not through the light it scatters, but through the paths it prevents - a form of imaging via negative information. Although detection employs classical wave optics formalism, the two are mathematically equivalent for coherent far-field modes; the quantum path integral provides the physical rationale for what is being measured, while classical diffraction theory provides the computational framework. Numerical simulation confirms that the differential signal ΔI(x,θ) is detectable at a signal-to-noise ratio of 852, with detection threshold reached at fewer than 10,000 photons per pixel, constituting a theoretical proof of concept. This paper is intended as a proposal to motivate future experimental and computational investigation.