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 causes the metrological error contributed by the center-of-mass mode of the probe to be divergent. A mechanism to remove this ostensible no-go theorem is found in the non-Markovian dynamics. Our result gives an efficient way to realize high-precision quantum metrology in practical continuous-variable systems.
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 causes the metrological error contributed by the center-of-mass mode of the probe to be divergent. A mechanism to remove this ostensible no-go theorem is found in the non-Markovian dynamics. Our result gives an efficient way to realize high-precision quantum metrology in practical continuous-variable systems.
Gyroscope for rotation sensing plays a key role in inertial navigation systems. Developing more precise gyroscopes than the conventional ones bounded by the classical shot-noise limit by using quantum resources has attracted much attention. However, existing quantum gyroscope schemes suffer severe deterioration under the influence of decoherence, which is called the no-go theorem of noisy metrology. Here, by using two quantized optical fields as the quantum probe, we propose a quantum gyroscope scheme breaking through the constraint of the no-go theorem. Our exact analysis of the non-Markovian noise reveals that both the evolution time as a resource in enhancing the sensitivity and the achieved super-Heisenberg limit in the noiseless case are asymptotically recoverable when each optical field forms a bound state with its environment. The result provides a guideline for realizing high-precision rotation sensing in realistic noisy environments.
Quantum metrology utilizes quantum effects to reach higher-precision measurements of physical quantities compared with their classical counterparts. However, the ubiquitous decoherence obstructs its application. Recently, non-Markovian effects are shown to be effective in performing quantum optical metrology under locally dissipative environments [Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 040402 (2019)]. However, the mechanism is still rather hazy. Here, we uncover the reason why forming a bound state can protect the quantumness against a dissipative ambient via the quantum Fisher information of entangled coherent states. An exact analytical expression of the quantum Fisher information in the long-encoding-time condition is derived, which reveals that the dynamics of precision can asymptotically reach the ideal-case-promised one easily when the average photon number is small. Meanwhile, the scaling exhibits a transition from the weak Heisenberg limit to the subclassical limit with increasing average photon number. Our work provides a recipe to realize ultrasensitive measurements in the presence of noise by utilizing non-Markovian effects.
Abstract Quantum metrology pursues the physical realization of higher‐precision measurements to physical quantities than the classically achievable limit by exploiting quantum features, such as entanglement and squeezing, as resources. It has potential applications in developing next‐generation frequency standards, magnetometers, radar, and navigation. However, the ubiquitous decoherence in the quantum world degrades the quantum resources and forces the precision back to or even worse than the classical limit, which is called the no‐go theorem of noisy quantum metrology and greatly hinders its applications. Therefore, how to realize the promised performance of quantum metrology in realistic noisy situations attracts much attention in recent years. The principle, categories, and applications of quantum metrology are reviewed. Special attention is paid to different quantum resources that can bring quantum superiority in enhancing sensitivity. Then, the no‐go theorem of noisy quantum metrology and its active control under different kinds of noise‐induced decoherence situations are introduced.
Non-classical resources enable measurements to achieve a precision that exceeds the limits predicted by the central limit theorem. However, environmental noise arising from system-environment interactions severely limits the performance of such resources through decoherence. While significant progress has been made in mitigating Markovian noise, the extent to which non-Markovian noise can be mitigated remains poorly understood. We demonstrate that Heisenberg Scaling, the ultimate quantum limit on measurement precision, can be recovered in quantum metrology under non-Markovian noise by leveraging carefully designed Dynamical Decoupling Techniques. Importantly, our approach does not rely on assumptions of Markovian dynamics. By imposing appropriate conditions on the control Hamiltonian, we show that HS can be achieved irrespective of whether the noise is Markovian or non-Markovian. We also prove necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of such control Hamiltonians. As an illustrative example, we apply our framework to the damped Jaynes-Cummings model, successfully mitigating memory effects and maintaining measurement precision in complex, non-Markovian environments. These findings highlight the power of quantum control to overcome decoherence challenges and enhance metrological performance in realistic, noisy quantum systems.
Quantum metrology employs quantum effects to attain a measurement precision surpassing the limit achievable in classical physics. However, it was previously found that the precision returns the shot-noise limit (SNL) from the ideal Zeno limit (ZL) due to the photon loss in quantum metrology based on Mech-Zehnder interferometry. Here, we find that not only can the SNL be beaten, but also the ZL can be asymptotically recovered in a long-encoding-time condition when the photon dissipation is exactly studied in its inherent non-Markovian manner. Our analysis reveals that it is due to the formation of a bound state of the photonic system and its dissipative noise. Highlighting the microscopic mechanism of the dissipative noise on the quantum optical metrology, our result supplies a guideline to realize the ultrasensitive measurement in practice by forming the bound state in the setting of reservoir engineering.
Quantum metrology aims to maximize measurement precision on quantum systems, with a wide range of applications in quantum sensing. Achieving the Heisenberg limit (HL)—the fundamental precision bound set by quantum mechanics—is often hindered by noise-induced decoherence, which typically reduces achievable precision to the standard quantum limit (SQL). While quantum error correction (QEC) can recover the HL under Markovian noise, its applicability to non-Markovian noise remains less explored. In this work, we analyze a hidden Markov model (HMM) in which a quantum probe, coupled to an inaccessible environment, undergoes joint evolution described by Lindbladian dynamics, with the inaccessible degrees of freedom serving as a memory. We derive generalized Knill-Laflamme conditions for the HMM and establish three types of sufficient conditions for achieving the HL under non-Markovian noise using QEC. Additionally, we demonstrate the attainability of the SQL when these sufficient conditions are violated, by analytical solutions for special cases and numerical methods for general scenarios. Our results not only extend prior QEC frameworks for metrology but also provide new insights into precision limits under realistic noise conditions.