We present experimental and theoretical results on a new interferometer topology that nests a SU(2) interferometer, e.g., a Mach-Zehnder or Michelson interferometer, inside a SU(1,1) interferometer, i.e., a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with parametric amplifiers in place of beam splitters. This SU(2)-in-SU(1,1) nested interferometer (SISNI) simultaneously achieves high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), sensitivity beyond the standard quantum limit (SQL) and tolerance to photon losses external to the interferometer, e.g., in detectors. We implement a SISNI using parametric amplification by four-wave mixing (FWM) in Rb vapor and a laser-fed Mach-Zehnder SU(2) interferometer. We observe path-length sensitivity with SNR 2.2 dB beyond the SQL at power levels (and thus SNR) 2 orders of magnitude beyond those of previous loss-tolerant interferometers. We find experimentally the optimal FWM gains and find agreement with a minimal quantum noise model for the FWM process. The results suggest ways to boost the in-practice sensitivity of high-power interferometers, e.g., gravitational wave interferometers, and may enable high-sensitivity, quantum-enhanced interferometry at wavelengths for which efficient detectors are not available.
We introduce the notion of fault-tolerant quantum metrology to overcome noise beyond our control -- associated with sensing the parameter, by reducing the noise in operations under our control -- associated with preparing and measuring probes and ancillae. To that end, we introduce noise thresholds to quantify the noise resilience of parameter estimation schemes. We demonstrate improved noise thresholds over the non-fault-tolerant schemes. We use quantum Reed-Muller codes to retrieve more information about a single phase parameter being estimated in the presence of full-rank Pauli noise. Using…
With the help of quantum entanglement, quantum dense metrology (QDM) is a technique that can perform the joint estimates of two conjugate quantities such as phase and amplitude modulations of an optical field with an accuracy beating the standard quantum limit simultaneously. SU(1,1) interferometers (SUI) can realize QDM with detection loss tolerance but is limited in absolute sensitivity. Here we present a QDM scheme with a linear interferometer (SU(2)) nested inside an SU(1,1) interferometer. By using a degenerate SUI and controlling the phase angle of the phase-sensitive amplifers in SUI, w…
Recent progress in quantum information has led to the start of several large national and industrial efforts to build a quantum computer. Researchers are now working to overcome many scientific and technological challenges. The program's biggest obstacle, a potential showstopper for the entire effort, is the need for high-fidelity qubit operations in a scalable architecture. This challenge arises from the fundamental fragility of quantum information, which can only be overcome with quantum error correction. In a fault-tolerant quantum computer the qubits and their logic interactions must have …
Preparing highly entangled quantum states between remote parties is a major challenge for quantum communications [1-8]. Particularly promising in this context are the N00N states, which are entangled N-photon wavepackets delocalized between two different locations, providing measurement sensitivity limited only by the uncertainty principle [1, 10-15]. However, these states are notoriously vulnerable to losses, making it difficult both to share them between remote locations, and to recombine them to exploit interference effects. Here we address this challenge by utilizing the reverse version of…
Quantum metrology research promises approaches to build new sensors that achieve the ultimate level of precision measurement and perform fundamentally better than modern sensors. Practical schemes that tolerate realistic fabrication imperfections and environmental noise are required in order to realise quantum-enhanced sensors and to enable their real-world application. We have demonstrated the key enabling principles of a practical, loss-tolerant approach to photonic quantum metrology designed to harness all multi-photon components in spontaneous parametric downconversion---a method for gener…
We analyze a novel method that uses fixed, minimal physical resources to achieve generation and nested purification of quantum entanglement for quantum communication over arbitrarily long distances, and discuss its implementation using realistic photon emitters and photonic channels. In this method, we use single photon emitters with two internal degrees of freedom formed by an electron spin and a nuclear spin to build intermediate nodes in a quantum channel. State-selective fluorescence is used for probabilistic entanglement generation between electron spins in adjacent nodes. We analyze in d…
So far, most of existed single-shot quantum coin flipping(QCF) protocols failed in a noisy quantum channel. Here, we present a nested-structured framework that makes it possible to achieve partially noise-tolerant QCF, due to that there is a trade-off between the security and the justice correctness. It is showed that noise-tolerant single-shot QCF protocols can be produced by filling the presented framework up with existed or even future protocols. We also proved a lower bound of 0.25, with which a cheating Alice or Bob could bias the outcome.
We demonstrate new experimental procedures for measuring small errors in a superconducting quantum bit (qubit). By carefully separating out gate and measurement errors, we construct a complete error budget and demonstrate single qubit gate fidelities of 0.98, limited by energy relaxation. We also introduce a new metrology tool -- a Ramsey interference error filter -- that can measure the occupation probability of the state $\ket{2}$ down to $10^{-4}$, a magnitude near the fault tolerant threshold.
Which-path information of a quantum particle in interferometers is the key to infer the past of quantum particle. It arises many extensive discussions including quantum complementarity and path-visibility relation. The basic of these discussions are the description, detection and control of which-path information. In this article, we focus on the investigation of multidimensional which-path information in nested Mach-Zehnder interferometer. A general expression of which-path information is given and can be partially extracted by different detection method. Further analysis shows that the which…
Multiphoton heralding generates large-amplitude squeezed Schrödinger cat states and parity-selective Fock superpositions from squeezed vacuum via an OPA
Among the known resources of quantum metrology, one of the most practical and efficient is squeezing. Squeezed states of atoms and light improve the sensing of the phase, magnetic field, polarization, mechanical displacement. They promise to considerably increase signal-to-noise ratio in imaging and spectroscopy, and are already used in real-life gravitational-wave detectors. But despite being more robust than other states, they are still very fragile, which narrows the scope of their application. In particular, squeezed states are useless in measurements where the detection is inefficient or …
A new class of atomic interferences using ultra-narrow optical transitions are pushing quantum engineering control to a very high level of precision for a next generation of sensors and quantum gate operations. In such context, we propose a new quantum engineering approach to Ramsey-Bordé interferometry introducing multiple composite laser pulses with tailored pulse duration, Rabi field amplitude, frequency detuning and laser phase-step. We explore quantum metrology with hyper-Ramsey and hyper-Hahn-Ramsey clocks below the $10^-18$ level of fractional accuracy by a fine tuning control of light …
