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arXiv:0706.4412 · Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical

Optimal phase estimation in quantum networks

Wim van Dam, Giacomo Mauro D’Ariano, ARTUR K. EKERT, Chiara Macchiavello, Michele Mosca

Published Jun 27, 2007• 15 citations
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Abstract

We address the problem of estimating the phase phi given N copies of the phase rotation u(phi) within an array of quantum operations in finite dimensions. We first consider the special case where the array consists of an arbitrary input state followed by any arrangement of the N phase rotations, and ending with a POVM. We optimise the POVM for a given input state and fixed arrangement. Then we also optimise the input state for some specific cost functions. In all cases, the optimal POVM is equivalent to a quantum Fourier transform in an appropriate basis. Examples and applications are given.

DOI
10.1088/1751-8113/40/28/s07

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We address the problem of estimating the phase $\ensuremath{\phi}$ given NNN copies of the phase-rotation gate ${u}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}$. We consider, for the first time, the optimization of the general case where the circuit consists of an arbitrary input state, followed by any arrangement of the NNN phase rotations interspersed with arbitrary quantum operations, and ending with a general measurement. Using the polynomial method, we show that, in all cases where the measure of quality of the estimate $\stackrel{\texttildelow{}}{\ensuremath{\phi}}$ for $\ensuremath{\phi}$ depends only on the difference $\stackrel{\texttildelow{}}{\ensuremath{\phi}}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\phi}$, the optimal scheme has a very simple fixed form. This implies that an optimal general phase estimation procedure can be found by just optimizing the amplitudes of the initial state.
We study the optimization of input states for phase estimation under covariant measurements. Building on Holevo's framework, which provides the optimal covariant measurement for a fixed input state, we further optimize over the input state itself. For a general even 2π2π2π-periodic cost function with non-negative Fourier coefficients, we derive a necessary and sufficient condition for the optimal input state: Its Fock coefficients are determined, up to arbitrary phases, by the eigenvector corresponding to the largest eigenvalue of a Toeplitz matrix defined by the cost function. This characterization yields an explicit expression for the attainable lower bound of the average cost under optimal covariant measurements and shows that this bound asymptotically approaches zero in the infinite-energy limit. For the specific cost function W(θ,θ~)=4sin⁡2[(θ−θ~)/2]W(θ,\tildeθ)=4\sin^2[(θ-\tildeθ)/2]W(θ,θ~)=4sin2[(θ−θ~)/2], we obtain the optimal input state and the corresponding minimum average cost in closed form, demonstrating Heisenberg scaling with respect to the mean photon number.
A direct derivation is given for the optimal mean fidelity of quantum state estimation of a d-dimensional unknown pure state with its N copies given as input, which was first obtained by Bruss and Macchiavello by establishing a connection to optimal quantum cloning. An explicit condition for POVM measurement operators for optimal estimators is obtained, by which we show optimal estimators with finite POVM exist but not generally universal, where universality means the fidelity is independent of input states. However any optimal estimator for M(>N) copies is universal if it is used for N copies as input.
We derive the optimal input states and the optimal quantum measurements for estimating the unitary action of a given symmetry group, showing how the optimal performance is obtained with a suitable use of entanglement. Optimality is defined in a Bayesian sense, as minimization of the average value of a given cost function. We introduce a class of cost functions that generalizes the Holevo class for phase estimation, and show that for states of the optimal form all functions in such a class lead to the same optimal measurement. As a first application of the main result is the complete proof of the optimal efficiency in the transmission of a Cartesian reference frame. As a second application, we derive the optimal estimation of a completely unknown two-qubit maximally entangled state, provided that NNN copies of the state are available. In the limit of large NNN, the fidelity of the optimal estimation is shown to be $1\ensuremath{-}3∕(4N)$.
A direct derivation is given for the optimal mean fidelity of quantum state estimation of a ddd-dimensional unknown pure state with its NNN copies given as input, which was first obtained by Hayashi in terms of an infinite set of covariant positive operator valued measures (POVM's) and by Bru\ss{} and Macchiavello establishing a connection to optimal quantum cloning. An explicit condition for POVM measurement operators for optimal estimators is obtained, by which we construct optimal estimators with finite POVMs using exact quadratures on a hypersphere. These finite optimal estimators are not generally universal, where universality means the fidelity is independent of input states. However, any optimal estimator with finite POVM for M(>N)M(>N)M(>N) copies is universal if it is used for NNN copies as input.