The field of quantum metrology promises measurement devices that are fundamentally superior to conventional technologies. Specifically, when quantum entanglement is harnessed the precision achieved is supposed to scale more favourably with the resources employed, such as system size and the time required. Here we consider measurement of magnetic field strength using an ensemble of spins, and we identify a third essential resource: the initial system polarisation, i.e. the low entropy of the original state. We find that performance depends crucially on the form of decoherence present; for a plausible dephasing model, we describe a quantum strategy which can indeed beat the standard quantum limit.
Ramsey interferometry is routinely used in quantum metrology for the most sensitive measurements of optical clock frequencies. Spontaneous decay to the electromagnetic vacuum ultimately limits the interrogation time and thus sets a lower bound to the optimal frequency sensitivity. In dense ensembles of two-level systems the presence of collective effects such as superradiance and dipole-dipole interaction tends to decrease the sensitivity even further. We show that by a redesign of the Ramsey-pulse sequence to include different rotations of individual spins that effectively fold the collective…
We propose a superradiant metrology technique to achieve the Heisenberg limit super-resolving displacement measurement by encoding multiple light momenta into a three-level atomic ensemble. We use $2N$ coherent pulses to prepare a single excitation superradiant state in a superposition of two timed Dicke states that are $4N$ light momenta apart in momentum space. The phase difference between these two states induced by a uniform displacement of the atomic ensemble has $1/4N$ sensitivity. Experiments are proposed in crystals and in ultracold atoms.
Quantum technologies exploit entanglement to revolutionize computing, measurements, and communications. This has stimulated the research in different areas of physics to engineer and manipulate fragile many-particle entangled states. Progress has been particularly rapid for atoms. Thanks to the large and tunable nonlinearities and the well developed techniques for trapping, controlling and counting, many groundbreaking experiments have demonstrated the generation of entangled states of trapped ions, cold and ultracold gases of neutral atoms. Moreover, atoms can couple strongly to external forc…
Laser noise is a decisive limiting factor in high precision spectroscopy of narrow lines using atomic ensembles. In an idealized Doppler and differential light shift free magic wavelength lattice configuration, it remains as one distinct principal limitation beyond collective atomic decay. In this work we study the limitations originating from laser phase and amplitude noise in an idealized Ramsey pulse interrogation scheme with uncorrelated atoms. Phase noise leads to a saturation of the frequency sensitivity with increasing atom number while amplitude noise implies a scaling $1/\sqrtτ$ with …
We show that far field diffraction image of spontaneously scattered Stokes photons can be used for detection of spin entanglement and for metrology of fields gradients in cold atomic ensembles. For many-body states with small or maximum uncertainty in spin-excitation number, entanglement is simply witnessed by the presence of a sharp diffraction peak or dip. Gradient vector of external fields is measured by the displacement of a diffraction peak due to inhomogeneous spin precessions, which suggests a new possibility for precision measurement beyond the standard quantum limit without entangleme…
For precision coherent measurements with ensembles of quantum spins the relevant Figure-of-Merit (FOM) is the product of polarized spin density and coherence lifetime, which is generally limited by the dynamics of the spin environment. Here, we apply a coherent spectroscopic technique to characterize the dynamics of the composite solid-state spin environment of Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers in room temperature diamond. For samples of very different NV densities and impurity spin concentrations, we show that NV FOM values can be almost an order of magnitude larger than previously achieved in ot…
We propose a new approach to the measurement of a single spin state, based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and inspired by the coherent control over many-body systems envisaged by Quantum Information Processing (QIP). A single target spin is coupled via the natural magnetic dipolar interaction to a large ensemble of spins. Applying external radio frequency (rf) pulses, we can control the evolution of the system so that the spin ensemble reaches one of two orthogonal states whose collective properties differ depending on the state of the target spin and are easily measured. We fi…
Spin Grid States for Quantum Metrology in Atomic Clocks Limited by Spontaneous Emission
Leibniz Universität Hannover（汉诺威莱布尼茨大学）；University of Innsbruck（因斯布鲁克大学）；Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences（奥地利科学院量子光学与量子信息研究所）
Nitrogen-vacancy ensembles promise an unprecedented combination of sensitivity and resolution for magnetic field sensing under ambient conditions. However, their full sensing potential is limited by the inhomogeneous degradation of their collective coherence, while dynamical-decoupling limits sensing to the detection of AC-fields. Here we propose using the recently demonstrated cavity-protection effect for room-temperature, ensemble-based DC metrology. We identify a parameter space where strong-coupling can persist at room temperature and where the dressed states are limited solely by the deph…
Quantum metrology can achieve far better precision than classical metrology, and is one of the most important applications of quantum technologies in the real world. To attain the highest precision promised by quantum metrology, all steps of the schemes need to be optimized, which include the state preparation, parametrization, and measurement. Here the recent progresses on the optimization of these steps, which are essential for the identification and achievement of the ultimate precision limit in quantum metrology, are reviewed. It is hoped this provides a useful reference for the researcher…
Quantum metrology is an auspicious discipline of quantum information which is currently witnessing a surge of experimental breakthroughs and theoretical developments. The main goal of quantum metrology is to estimate unknown parameters as accurately as possible. By using quantum resources as probes, it is possible to attain a measurement precision that would be otherwise impossible using the best classical strategies. For example, with respect to the task of phase estimation, the maximum precision (the Heisenberg limit) is a quadratic gain in precision with respect to the best classical strate…
Quantum metrology is a promising practical use case for quantum technologies, where physical quantities can be measured with unprecedented precision. In lieu of quantum error correction procedures, near term quantum devices are expected to be noisy, and we have to make do with noisy probe states. We prove that, for a set of carefully chosen symmetric probe states that lie within certain quantum error correction codes, quantum metrology exhibits an advantage over classical metrology even after the probe states are corrupted by a constant number of erasure and dephasing errors. These probe state…
Quantum metrology is studied in the presence of quantum correlation. The quantum correlation measure based on quantum Fisher information enables us to gain a deeper insight on how quantum correlations are instrumental in setting metrological precision. Our analysis shows that not only the entanglement but also the quantum correlation plays important roles to enhance precision in quantum metrology. Even in the absence of entanglement, quantum correlation can be exploited as the resource to beat standard quantum limit and reach Heisenberg limit in metrology. Clearly unraveling the role of quantu…
Quantum metrology is a rapidly developing branch of quantum technologies. While various theories have been established on quantum metrology for Markovian processes, i.e., quantum channel estimation, quantum metrology for non-Markovian processes is much less explored. In this Letter, we establish a general framework of non-Markovian quantum metrology. For any parametrized non-Markovian process on a finite-dimensional system, we derive a formula for the maximal amount of quantum Fisher information that can be extracted from it by an optimally controlled probe state. In addition, we design an alg…
Quantum metrology concerns estimating a parameter from multiple identical uses of a quantum channel. We extend quantum metrology beyond this standard setting and consider estimation of a physical process with quantum memory, here referred to as a parametrized quantum comb. We present a theoretic framework of metrology of quantum combs, and derive a general upper bound of the comb quantum Fisher information. The bound can be operationally interpreted as the quantum Fisher information of a memoryless quantum channel times a dimensional factor. We then show an example where the bound can be attai…
Recently, we find a physical limit on energy consumption of quantum metrology, and demonstrate that it essentially arises from the erasure of quantum Fisher information (QFI) which determines the best achievable measurement precision. Here, we provide more details in order to further elaborate the essence of this principle.
Quantum metrology exploits quantum correlations in specially prepared entangled or other non-classical states to perform measurements that exceed the standard quantum limit. Typically though, such states are hard to engineer, particularly when larger numbers of resources are desired. As an alternative, this paper aims to establish quantum jump metrology which is based on generalised sequential measurements as a general design principle for quantum metrology and discusses how to exploit open quantum systems to obtain a quantum enhancement. By analysing a simple toy model, we illustrate that par…
Experimentally achieving the precision that standard quantum metrology schemes promise is always challenging. Recently, additional controls were applied to design feasible quantum metrology schemes. However, these approaches generally does not consider ease of implementation, raising technological barriers impeding its realization. In this paper, we circumvent this problem by applying closed-loop learning control to propose a practical controlled sequential scheme for quantum metrology. Purity loss of the probe state, which relates to quantum Fisher information, is measured efficiently as the …
We show that the quantum Fisher information attained in an adiabatic approach to critical quantum metrology cannot lead to the Heisenberg limit of precision and therefore regular quantum metrology under optimal settings is always superior. Furthermore, we argue that even though shortcuts to adiabaticity can arbitrarily decrease the time of preparing critical ground states, they cannot be used to achieve or overcome the Heisenberg limit for quantum parameter estimation in adiabatic critical quantum metrology. As case studies, we explore the application of counter-diabatic driving to the Landau-…
The simultaneous quantum estimation of multiple parameters can provide a better precision than estimating them individually. This is an effect that is impossible classically. We review the rich background of multi-parameter quantum metrology, some of the main results in the field and its recent advances. We close by highlighting future challenges and open questions.
Quantum steering is an important correlation in quantum information theory. A recent work [Nat. Commun. 12, 2410 (2021)] showed that quantum steering is also useful for quantum metrology. Here, we extend the exploration of steering-enhanced quantum metrology from single noiseless phase shifts to superpositions of noisy phase shifts. As concrete examples, we consider a control system that manipulates a target system to pass through a superposition of either dephased or depolarized phase shifts channels. We show that using such superpositions of noisy phase shifts can suppress the effects of noi…
By using highly entangled states, quantum metrology guarantees precision impossible with classical measurements. Unfortunately such states can be very susceptible to noise, and it is a great challenge of the field to maintain quantum advantage in realistic conditions. In this study we investigate the practicality of graph states for quantum metrology. Graph states are a natural resource for much of quantum information, and here we characterize their quantum Fisher information (QFI) for an arbitrary graph state. We then construct families of graph states which approximately achieves the Heisenb…
Quantum metrology pursues high-precision measurements of physical quantities by using quantum resources. However, the decoherence generally hinders its performance. Previous work found that the metrological error tends to diverge in the long-encoding-time regime due to the Born-Markovian approximate decoherence, which is called the no-go theorem of noisy quantum metrology. Here we propose a Gaussian quantum metrology scheme using bimodal quantized optical fields as the quantum probe. It achieves the precision of a sub-Heisenberg limit in the ideal case. However, the Markovian decoherence cause…
We present an alternative protocol allowing for the preparation of critical states that instead of suffering from the critical slowing-down benefits from the critical speeding-up. Paradoxically, we prepare these states by going away from the critical point which allows for the speed-up. We apply the protocol to the paradigmatic quantum Rabi model and its classical oscillator limit as well as the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model. Subsequently, we discuss the application of the adiabatic speed-up protocol in quantum metrology and compare its performance with critical quantum metrology. We show that cr…
In this article we study the role that quantum resources play in quantum error correction assisted quantum metrology (QECQM) schemes. We show that there exist classes of such problems where entanglement is not necessary to retrieve noise free evolution and Heisenberg scaling in the long time limit. Over short time scales, noise free evolution is also possible even without any form of quantum correlations. In particular, for qubit probes, we show that whenever noise free quantum metrology is possible via QECQM, entanglement free schemes over long time scales and correlation free schemes over sh…
Quantum states of light, such as squeezed states or entangled states, can be used to make measurements (metrology), produce images, and sense objects with a precision that far exceeds what is possible classically, and also exceeds what was once thought to be possible quantum mechanically. The primary idea is to exploit quantum effects to beat the shot-noise limit in metrology and the Rayleigh diffraction limit in imaging and sensing. Quantum optical metrology has received a boost in recent years with an influx of ideas from the rapidly evolving field of optical quantum information processing. …
Squeezing ensemble of spins provides a way to surpass the standard quantum limit (SQL) in quantum metrology and test the fundamental physics as well, and therefore attracts broad interest. Here we propose an experimentally accessible protocol to squeeze a giant ensemble of spins via the geometric phase control. Using the cavity-assisted Raman transitions in a double $Λ$-type system, we realize an effective Dicke model. Under the condition of vanishing effective spin transition frequency, we find a particular evolution time where the cavity decouples from the spins and the spin ensemble is sque…
Quantum metrology overcomes standard precision limits and plays a central role in science and technology. Practically it is vulnerable to imperfections such as decoherence. Here, we demonstrate quantum metrology for noisy channels such that entanglement with ancillary qubits enhances the quantum Fisher information for phase estimation but not otherwise. Our photonic experiment covers a range of noise for various types of channels, including for two randomly alternating channels such that assisted entanglement fails for each noisy channel individually. We have simulated noisy channels by implem…
We point out a general framework that encompasses most cases in which quantum effects enable an increase in precision when estimating a parameter (quantum metrology). The typical quantum precision-enhancement is of the order of the square root of the number of times the system is sampled. We prove that this is optimal and we point out the different strategies (classical and quantum) that permit to attain this bound.
We show that continuous quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement of an atomic ensemble is able to improve the precision of frequency estimation even in the presence of independent dephasing acting on each atom. We numerically simulate the dynamics of an ensemble with up to N = 150 atoms initially prepared in a (classical) spin coherent state, and we show that, thanks to the spin squeezing dynamically generated by the measurement, the information obtainable from the continuous photocurrent scales superclassically with respect to the number of atoms N. We provide evidence that such superclassical…
Graph states are a unique resource for quantum information processing, such as measurement-based quantum computation. Here, we theoretically investigate using continuous-variable graph states for single-parameter quantum metrology, including both phase and displacement sensing. We identified the optimal graph states for the two sensing modalities and showed that Heisenberg scaling of the accuracy for both phase and displacement sensing can be achieved with local homodyne measurements.
We have introduced a measure of Gaussian quantum correlations based on quantum Fisher information. For bipartite Gaussian states the minimum quantum Fisher information due to local unitary evolution on one of the parties reliably quantifies quantum correlation. In quantum metrology the proposed measure becomes the tool to investigate the role of quantum orrelation in setting metrological precision. In particular, a deeper insights can be gained on how quantum correlations are instrumental to enhance metrological precision. Our analysis demonstrates that not only entanglement but also quantum c…
Multipartite quantum systems show properties which do not admit a classical explanation. In particular, even nonentangled states can enjoy a kind of quantum correlations called quantum discord. I discuss some recent results on the role of quantum discord in metrology. Given an interferometric phase estimation protocol where the Hamiltonian is initially unknown to the experimentalist, the quantum discord of the probe state quantifies the minimum precision of the estimation. This provides a physical interpretation to a widely investigated information-theoretic quantity.
Information science is entering into a new era in which certain subtleties of quantum mechanics enables large enhancements in computational efficiency and communication security. Naturally, precise control of quantum systems required for the implementation of quantum information processing protocols implies potential breakthoughs in other sciences and technologies. We discuss recent developments in quantum control in optical systems and their applications in metrology and imaging.
The manipulation of quantum entanglement has found enormous potential for improving performances of devices such as gyroscopes, clocks, and even computers. Similar improvements have been demonstrated for lithography and microscopy. We present an overview of some aspects of enhancement by quantum entanglement in imaging and metrology.
Quantum metrology allows us to attain a measurement precision that surpasses the classically achievable limit by using quantum characters. The metrology precision is raised from the standard quantum limit (SQL) to the Heisenberg limit (HL) by using entanglement. However, it was reported that the HL returns to the SQL in the presence of local dephasing environments under the long encoding-time condition. We evaluate here the exact impacts of local dissipative environments on quantum metrology, based on the Ramsey interferometer. It is found that the HL is asymptotically recovered under the long…
We study very generally to what extent the uncertainty with which a phase shift can be estimated in quantum metrology can be reduced by extending the Hamiltonian that generates the phase shift to an ancilla system with a Hilbert space of arbitrary dimension, and allowing arbitrary interactions between the original system and the ancilla. Such Hamiltonian extensions provide a general framework for open quantum systems, as well as for "non-linear metrology schemes" that have been investigated over the last few years. We prove that such Hamiltonian extensions cannot improve the sensitivity of the…
We consider a cryptographically motivated framework for quantum metrology in the presence of a malicious adversary. We begin by devising an estimation strategy for a (potentially) altered resource (due to a malicious adversary) and quantify the amount of bias and the loss in precision as a function of the introduced uncertainty in the resource. By incorporating an appropriate cryptographic protocol, the uncertainty in the resource can be bounded with respect to the soundness of the cryptographic protocol. Thus the effectiveness of the quantum metrology problem can be directly related to the ef…
We address the relation between quantum metrological resolution and coherence. We examine this dependence in two manners: we develop a quantum Wiener-Kintchine theorem for a suitable model of quantum ruler, and we compute the Fisher information. The two methods have the virtue of including both the contributions of probe and measurement on an equal footing. We illustrate this approach with several examples of linear and nonlinear metrology. Finally, we optimize resolution regarding coherence as a finite resource.
In quantum metrology, quantum probe states are capable of estimating unknown physical parameters to precisions beyond classical limits. What qualities do such states possess? Here we relate the performance of a probe state at estimating a parameter $ϕ$ -- as quantified by the quantum Fisher information -- to the amount of purity it loses when $ϕ$ undergoes statistical fluctuation. This indicates that the better a state is for estimating $ϕ$, the more it decoheres when $ϕ$ is subject to noise.
We show why and when entanglement is needed for quantum-enhanced precision measurements, and which type of entanglement is useful. We give a simple, intuitive construction that shows how entanglement transforms parallel estimation strategies into sequential ones of same precision. We employ this argument to generalize conventional quantum metrology, to identify a class of noise whose effects can be easily managed, and to treat the case of indistinguishable probes (such as interferometry with light).
The critical quantum metrology, which exploits the quantum phase transition for high precision measurement, has gained increasing attention recently. The critical quantum metrology with the continuous quantum phase transition, however, is experimentally very challenging since the continuous quantum phase transition only exists at the thermal dynamical limit. Here, we propose an adiabatic scheme on a perturbed Ising spin model with the first order quantum phase transition. By employing the Landau-Zener anticrossing, we can not only encode the unknown parameter in the ground state but also tune …
We apply the classical data processing inequality to quantum metrology to show that manipulating the classical information from a quantum measurement cannot aid in the estimation of parameters encoded in quantum states. We further derive a quantum data processing inequality to show that coherent manipulation of quantum data also cannot improve the precision in estimation. In addition, we comment on the assumptions necessary to arrive at these inequalities and how they might be avoided providing insights into enhancement procedures which are not provably wrong.
We develop a variational principle to determine the quantum controls and initial state which optimizes the quantum Fisher information, the quantity characterizing the precision in quantum metrology. When the set of available controls is limited, the exact optimal initial state and the optimal controls are in general dependent on the probe time, a feature missing in the unrestricted case. Yet, for time-independent Hamiltonians with restricted controls, the problem can be approximately reduced to the unconstrained case via the Floquet engineering. In particular, we find for magnetometry with a t…
Quantum Metrology is one of the most promising application of quantum technologies. The aim of this research field is the estimation of unknown parameters exploiting quantum resources, whose application can lead to enhanced performances with respect to classical strategies. Several physical quantum systems can be employed to develop quantum sensors, and photonic systems represent ideal probes for a large number of metrological tasks. Here we review the basic concepts behind quantum metrology and then focus on the application of photonic technology for this task, with particular attention to ph…
