Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2203.05688 · Physical Review Letters

Thermodynamic Principle for Quantum Metrology

Yaoming Chu, Jianming Cai

Published May 18, 2022• 18 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The heat dissipation in quantum metrology represents not only an unavoidable problem towards practical applications of quantum sensing devices but also a fundamental relationship between thermodynamics and quantum metrology. However, a general thermodynamic principle which governs the rule of energy consumption in quantum metrology, similar to Landauer's principle for heat dissipation in computations, has remained elusive. Here, we establish such a physical principle for energy consumption in order to achieve a certain level of measurement precision in quantum metrology, and show that it is intrinsically determined by the erasure of quantum Fisher information. The principle provides a powerful tool to investigate the advantage of quantum resources, not only in measurement precision but also in energy efficiency. It also serves as a bridge between thermodynamics and various fundamental physical concepts related in quantum physics and quantum information theory.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.128.200501

Related papers

Notes on Thermodynamic Principle for Quantum Metrology

Yaoming Chu, Jianming Cai

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.

arXiv:2208.05167•Aug 10, 2022•1 citation

Energy-based entanglement detection and the thermodynamic significance of quantum Fisher information

Abdallah Slaoui, Hachem Tarif, Brahim Amghar

Abstract Establishing a concrete link between quantum information measures and thermodynamic quantities remains a significant challenge in contemporary research. This paper presents novel contributions exploring three key aspects. First, we investigate the relationship between quantum Fisher information (QFI) and work and heat exchange during a feedback control measurement cycle, unveiling a quantitative interplay between energy and information. Second, we demonstrate the behavior of heat exchange with the environment at the point of maximum estimation precision, and a direct relation that links the von Neumann entropy in systems with a large number of microstates with the precision of the estimation through QFI, shedding light on the thermodynamic signature of optimal quantum parameter estimation, bridging quantum metrology, and statistical thermodynamics in the context of high-dimensional stochastic systems. Finally, we propose a method for detecting entanglement based on thermodynamic work, introducing a framework to identify entanglement through energy considerations in a quantum system. Together, these findings advance our understanding of the intersection between quantum information theory and quantum thermodynamics, providing an additional foundation for future research.

Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•May 7, 2026•0 citations

Optimal Quantum Metrology under Energy Constraints

Longyun Chen, Yuxiang Yang

The traditional framework of quantum metrology commonly assumes unlimited access to resources, overlooking resource constraints in realistic scenarios. As such, the optimal strategies therein can be infeasible in practice. Here, we investigate quantum metrology where the total energy consumption of the probe state preparation, intermediate control operations, and the final measurement is subject to a constraint. We establish a comprehensive theoretical framework for characterizing energy-constrained multistep quantum processes, based on which we develop a general optimization method for energy-constrained quantum metrology that determines both the optimal precision and the corresponding strategy. Using the method, we determine the ultimate precision limit of energy-constrained phase estimation and identify a novel advantage of quantum superpositions of causal orders in enhancing the energy efficiency of adaptive quantum estimation.

arXiv:2506.09436•Physical Review Letters•Jan 13, 2026•1 citation

Operational Interpretation of Quantum Fisher Information in Quantum Thermodynamics

Iman Marvian

In the framework of quantum thermodynamics preparing a quantum system in a general state requires the consumption of two distinct resources, namely, work and energetic coherence. It has been shown that the work cost of preparing a quantum state is determined by its free energy. Considering a similar setting, here we determine the coherence cost of preparing a general state when there are no restrictions on work consumption. More precisely, the coherence cost is defined as the minimum rate of consumption of systems in a pure coherent state, that is needed to prepare copies of the desired system. We show that the coherence cost of any system is determined by its quantum Fisher information about the time parameter, hence introducing a new operational interpretation of this central quantity of quantum metrology. Our resource-theoretic approach also reveals a previously unnoticed connection between two fundamental properties of quantum Fisher information.

arXiv:2112.04694•Physical Review Letters•Oct 31, 2022•0 citations

Universal Landauer-Like Inequality from the First Law of Thermodynamics

Junjie Liu, Hanlin Nie

The first law of thermodynamics, which governs energy conservation, is traditionally formulated as an equality. Surprisingly, we demonstrate that the first law alone implies a universal Landauer-like inequality linking changes in system entropy and energy. However, contrasting with the Landauer principle derived from the second law of thermodynamics, our obtained Landauer-like inequality solely relies on system information and is applicable in scenarios where implementing the Landauer principle becomes challenging. Furthermore, the Landauer-like inequality can complement the Landauer principle by establishing a dual {\it upper} bound on heat dissipation. We illustrate the practical utility of the Landauer-like inequality in dissipative quantum state preparation and quantum information erasure applications. Our findings offer new insights into identifying thermodynamic constraints relevant to the fields of quantum thermodynamics and the energetics of quantum information processing and more specifically, this approach could facilitate investigations into systems coupled to non-thermal baths or scenarios where access to bath information is limited.

arXiv:2306.11230•Jun 20, 2023•0 citations

Quantum information-cost relations and fluctuations beyond thermal environments: A thermodynamic inference approach

Yuanyuan Xiao, Jian‐Hua Jiang, Junjie Liu

The Landauer's principle, a cornerstone of information thermodynamics, provides a fundamental lower bound on the energetic cost of information erasure in terms of the information content change. However, its traditional formulation is largely confined to systems exchanging solely energy with an ideal thermal bath. In this work, we derive general information-cost trade-off relations that go beyond the scope of Landauer's principle by developing a thermodynamic inference approach based on the maximum entropy principle. These relations require only information about the system and are applicable to complex quantum scenarios involving multiple conserved charges and non-thermal environments. Specifically, we present two key results: (i) In scenarios where only the mean values of observables are accessible, we derive an information-content-informed upper bound on the thermodynamic cost which complements an existing generalized Landauer lower bound. (ii) When second-order fluctuations can also be measured, we obtain an information-content-informed lower bound on the change in variances of observables, thereby extending the Landauer's principle to constrain higher-order fluctuation costs. We numerically validate our information-cost trade-off relations using a coupled-qubit system exchanging energy and excitations, a driven qubit implementing an information erasure process, and a driven double quantum dot system that can operate as an inelastic heat engine. Our results underscore the broad utility of maximum-entropy inference in constraining thermodynamic costs for generic finite-time quantum processes, with direct relevance to quantum information processing and quantum thermodynamic applications.

arXiv:2509.17060•Physical Review A•Feb 27, 2026•2 citations
The heat dissipation in quantum metrology represents not only an unavoidable problem towards practical applications of quantum sensing devices but also a fundamental relationship between thermodynamics and quantum metrology. However, a general thermodynamic principle which governs the rule of energy consumption in quantum metrology, similar to Landauer's principle for heat dissipation in computations, has remained elusive. Here, we establish such a physical principle for energy consumption in order to achieve a certain level of measurement precision in quantum metrology, and show that it is intrinsically determined by the erasure of quantum Fisher information. The principle provides a powerful tool to investigate the advantage of quantum resources, not only in measurement precision but also in energy efficiency. It also serves as a bridge between thermodynamics and various fundamental physical concepts related in quantum physics and quantum information theory.
Abstract Establishing a concrete link between quantum information measures and thermodynamic quantities remains a significant challenge in contemporary research. This paper presents novel contributions exploring three key aspects. First, we investigate the relationship between quantum Fisher information (QFI) and work and heat exchange during a feedback control measurement cycle, unveiling a quantitative interplay between energy and information. Second, we demonstrate the behavior of heat exchange with the environment at the point of maximum estimation precision, and a direct relation that links the von Neumann entropy in systems with a large number of microstates with the precision of the estimation through QFI, shedding light on the thermodynamic signature of optimal quantum parameter estimation, bridging quantum metrology, and statistical thermodynamics in the context of high-dimensional stochastic systems. Finally, we propose a method for detecting entanglement based on thermodynamic work, introducing a framework to identify entanglement through energy considerations in a quantum system. Together, these findings advance our understanding of the intersection between quantum information theory and quantum thermodynamics, providing an additional foundation for future research.
The traditional framework of quantum metrology commonly assumes unlimited access to resources, overlooking resource constraints in realistic scenarios. As such, the optimal strategies therein can be infeasible in practice. Here, we investigate quantum metrology where the total energy consumption of the probe state preparation, intermediate control operations, and the final measurement is subject to a constraint. We establish a comprehensive theoretical framework for characterizing energy-constrained multistep quantum processes, based on which we develop a general optimization method for energy-constrained quantum metrology that determines both the optimal precision and the corresponding strategy. Using the method, we determine the ultimate precision limit of energy-constrained phase estimation and identify a novel advantage of quantum superpositions of causal orders in enhancing the energy efficiency of adaptive quantum estimation.
In the framework of quantum thermodynamics preparing a quantum system in a general state requires the consumption of two distinct resources, namely, work and energetic coherence. It has been shown that the work cost of preparing a quantum state is determined by its free energy. Considering a similar setting, here we determine the coherence cost of preparing a general state when there are no restrictions on work consumption. More precisely, the coherence cost is defined as the minimum rate of consumption of systems in a pure coherent state, that is needed to prepare copies of the desired system. We show that the coherence cost of any system is determined by its quantum Fisher information about the time parameter, hence introducing a new operational interpretation of this central quantity of quantum metrology. Our resource-theoretic approach also reveals a previously unnoticed connection between two fundamental properties of quantum Fisher information.
The first law of thermodynamics, which governs energy conservation, is traditionally formulated as an equality. Surprisingly, we demonstrate that the first law alone implies a universal Landauer-like inequality linking changes in system entropy and energy. However, contrasting with the Landauer principle derived from the second law of thermodynamics, our obtained Landauer-like inequality solely relies on system information and is applicable in scenarios where implementing the Landauer principle becomes challenging. Furthermore, the Landauer-like inequality can complement the Landauer principle by establishing a dual {\it upper} bound on heat dissipation. We illustrate the practical utility of the Landauer-like inequality in dissipative quantum state preparation and quantum information erasure applications. Our findings offer new insights into identifying thermodynamic constraints relevant to the fields of quantum thermodynamics and the energetics of quantum information processing and more specifically, this approach could facilitate investigations into systems coupled to non-thermal baths or scenarios where access to bath information is limited.
The Landauer's principle, a cornerstone of information thermodynamics, provides a fundamental lower bound on the energetic cost of information erasure in terms of the information content change. However, its traditional formulation is largely confined to systems exchanging solely energy with an ideal thermal bath. In this work, we derive general information-cost trade-off relations that go beyond the scope of Landauer's principle by developing a thermodynamic inference approach based on the maximum entropy principle. These relations require only information about the system and are applicable to complex quantum scenarios involving multiple conserved charges and non-thermal environments. Specifically, we present two key results: (i) In scenarios where only the mean values of observables are accessible, we derive an information-content-informed upper bound on the thermodynamic cost which complements an existing generalized Landauer lower bound. (ii) When second-order fluctuations can also be measured, we obtain an information-content-informed lower bound on the change in variances of observables, thereby extending the Landauer's principle to constrain higher-order fluctuation costs. We numerically validate our information-cost trade-off relations using a coupled-qubit system exchanging energy and excitations, a driven qubit implementing an information erasure process, and a driven double quantum dot system that can operate as an inelastic heat engine. Our results underscore the broad utility of maximum-entropy inference in constraining thermodynamic costs for generic finite-time quantum processes, with direct relevance to quantum information processing and quantum thermodynamic applications.