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arXiv:2204.08681 · Physical Review A

Generalized echo squeezing protocol with near-Heisenberg-limit sensitivity and strong robustness against detection noise and variation in squeezing parameter

Jinyang Li, Gregório R. M. da Silva, Schuyler Kain, M. S. Shahriar

Published Mar 17, 2023• 8 citations
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Abstract

We present a generalized echo squeezing protocol (GESP) as a generalization of the Schr\"odinger cat state protocol with the value of the squeezing parameter being an arbitrary number rather than $\ensuremath{\pi}/2$. We show analytically that over a very broad range of the squeezing parameter the sensitivity of the GESP reaches the Heisenberg limit within a factor of $\sqrt{2}$. For a large number of atoms, $N$, this plateau interval is almost the whole range from zero to $\ensuremath{\pi}/2$, and the sensitivity is independent of the parity of $N$. Therefore, it is possible to operate a sensor over a wide interval of the squeezing parameter without changing the sensitivity. This is to be contrasted with the conventional echo squeezing protocol (CESP) which only works for a very small interval of the squeezing parameter. We also show that, in contrast to the CESP, the sensitivity of the GESP is close to the quantum Cram\'er-Rao bound over the whole range of the squeezing parameter, indicating that the phase-shift information contained in the quantum state is near-optimally extracted. We find that the enhancement in sensitivity in the case of the GESP is due to a combination of two parameters: the phase magnification factor (PMF) and the noise amplification factor (NAF). As the value of the squeezing parameter increases, both PMF and NAF increase, while keeping the ratio of the PMF to the NAF essentially constant, yielding a net enhancement of sensitivity at the Heisenberg limit within a factor of $\sqrt{2}$ over the whole plateau interval. An important consequence of this behavior is that the robustness of the GESP against detection noise easily exceeds that of the CESP for a broad range of values of the squeezing parameter. As such, in the context of an experimental study, it should be possible to achieve a net enhancement in sensitivity higher than that for the CESP, under typical conditions where detection noise exceeds the quantum projection noise of an unsqueezed state with the same number of atoms. Finally, we consider the fragility of the GESP against decoherence mechanisms, and show how a balance between the fragility against the decoherence mechanisms and the robustness against detection noise would in practice determine the optimal choice of parameters for the GESP.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.107.032610

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We present a generalized echo squeezing protocol (GESP) as a generalization of the Schr"odinger cat state protocol with the value of the squeezing parameter being an arbitrary number rather than \ensuremathπ/2\ensuremath{\pi}/2\ensuremathπ/2. We show analytically that over a very broad range of the squeezing parameter the sensitivity of the GESP reaches the Heisenberg limit within a factor of 2\sqrt{2}2​. For a large number of atoms, NNN, this plateau interval is almost the whole range from zero to \ensuremathπ/2\ensuremath{\pi}/2\ensuremathπ/2, and the sensitivity is independent of the parity of NNN. Therefore, it is possible to operate a sensor over a wide interval of the squeezing parameter without changing the sensitivity. This is to be contrasted with the conventional echo squeezing protocol (CESP) which only works for a very small interval of the squeezing parameter. We also show that, in contrast to the CESP, the sensitivity of the GESP is close to the quantum Cram'er-Rao bound over the whole range of the squeezing parameter, indicating that the phase-shift information contained in the quantum state is near-optimally extracted. We find that the enhancement in sensitivity in the case of the GESP is due to a combination of two parameters: the phase magnification factor (PMF) and the noise amplification factor (NAF). As the value of the squeezing parameter increases, both PMF and NAF increase, while keeping the ratio of the PMF to the NAF essentially constant, yielding a net enhancement of sensitivity at the Heisenberg limit within a factor of 2\sqrt{2}2​ over the whole plateau interval. An important consequence of this behavior is that the robustness of the GESP against detection noise easily exceeds that of the CESP for a broad range of values of the squeezing parameter. As such, in the context of an experimental study, it should be possible to achieve a net enhancement in sensitivity higher than that for the CESP, under typical conditions where detection noise exceeds the quantum projection noise of an unsqueezed state with the same number of atoms. Finally, we consider the fragility of the GESP against decoherence mechanisms, and show how a balance between the fragility against the decoherence mechanisms and the robustness against detection noise would in practice determine the optimal choice of parameters for the GESP.
In a conventional atomic interferometer employing N atoms, the phase sensitivity is at the standard quantum limit: 1 / N . Under usual spin squeezing, the sensitivity is increased by lowering the quantum noise. It is also possible to increase the sensitivity by leaving the quantum noise unchanged while producing phase amplification. Here we show how to increase the sensitivity, to the Heisenberg limit of 1 / N , while increasing the quantum noise by N and amplifying the phase by a factor of N . Because of the enhancement of the quantum noise and the large phase magnification, the effect of excess noise is highly suppressed. The protocol uses a Schrödinger cat state representing a maximally entangled superposition of two collective states of N atoms. The phase magnification occurs when we use either atomic state detection or collective state detection; however, the robustness against excess noise occurs only when atomic state detection is employed. We show that for one version of the protocol, the signal amplitude is N when N is even, and is vanishingly small when N is odd, for both types of detection. We also show how the protocol can be modified to reverse the nature of the signal for odd versus even values of N . Thus, for a situation where the probability of N being even or odd is equal, the net sensitivity is within a factor of 2 of the Heisenberg limit. Finally, we discuss potential experimental constraints for implementing this scheme via one-axis-twist squeezing employing the cavity feedback scheme, and show that the effects of cavity decay and spontaneous emission are highly suppressed because of the increased quantum noise and the large phase magnification inherent to the protocol. As a result, we find that the maximum improvement in sensitivity can be close to the ideal limit for as many as 10 million atoms.
In a conventional atomic interferometer employing NNN atoms, the phase sensitivity is at the standard quantum limit: 1/N1/\sqrt{N}1/N​. Using spin-squeezing, the sensitivity can be increased, either by lowering the quantum noise or via phase amplification, or a combination thereof. Here, we show how to increase the sensitivity, to the Heisenberg limit of 1/N1/N1/N, while increasing the quantum noise by N\sqrt{N}N​, thereby suppressing by the same factor the effect of excess noise. The protocol uses a Schrodinger Cat state representing a superposition of two collective states of NNN atoms, behaving as a single entity with an NNN-fold increase in Compton frequency. The resulting NNN-fold phase magnification is revealed by using atomic state detection instead of collective state detection. We also show how to realize an atomic clock based on such a Schrodinger Cat state, with an NNN-fold increase in the effective transition frequency. We discuss potential experimental constraints for implementing this scheme, using one axis twist squeezing employing the cavity feedback scheme, and show that the effects of cavity decay and spontaneous emission are highly suppressed. We find that the maximum improvement in sensitivity can be close to the ideal limit, for as many as ten million atoms.
In a conventional atomic interferometer employing NNN atoms, the phase sensitivity is at the standard quantum limit: 1/N1/\sqrt{N}1/N​. Using spin-squeezing, the sensitivity can be increased, either by lowering the quantum noise or via phase amplification, or a combination thereof. Here, we show how to increase the sensitivity, to the Heisenberg limit of 1/N1/N1/N, while increasing the quantum noise by N\sqrt{N}N​, thereby suppressing by the same factor the effect of excess noise. The protocol uses a Schrodinger Cat state representing a superposition of two collective states of NNN atoms, behaving as a single entity with an NNN-fold increase in Compton frequency. The resulting NNN-fold phase magnification is revealed by using atomic state detection instead of collective state detection. We also show how to realize an atomic clock based on such a Schrodinger Cat state, with an NNN-fold increase in the effective transition frequency. We discuss potential experimental constraints for implementing this scheme, using one axis twist squeezing employing the cavity feedback scheme, and show that the effects of cavity decay and spontaneous emission are highly suppressed. We find that the maximum improvement in sensitivity can be close to the ideal limit, for as many as ten million atoms.
We consider a large class of Ramsey interferometry protocols which are enhanced by squeezing and un-squeezing operations before and after a phase signal is imprinted on the collective spin of N particles. We report an analytical optimization for any given particle number and strengths of (un-)squeezing. These results can be applied even when experimentally relevant decoherence processes during the squeezing and un-squeezing interactions are included. Noise between the two interactions is however not considered in this work. This provides a generalized characterization of squeezing echo protocols, recovering a number of known quantum metrological protocols as local sensitivity maxima, thereby proving their optimality. We discover a single new protocol. Its sensitivity enhancement relies on a double inversion of squeezing. In the general class of echo protocols, the newly found over-un-twisting protocol is singled out due to its Heisenberg scaling even at strong collective dephasing.
The echo squeezing protocols (ESPs) are techniques that amplify the phase shift in a quantum sensor with one-axis-twist squeezing (OATS). For atomic sensors, spontaneous emission (SE) in the OATS operations is an important imperfection, which, however, is prohibitively difficult to study. SE can transfer atoms to all the Zeeman substates, making the number of relevant collective states excessively large. In this paper, we focus on a relatively simple isotope, namely Sr-88, which only has one Zeeman substate in each of the two ground states. Nevertheless, studying the effect of SE is still challenging because SE will populate all collective states, either symmetric or asymmetric, thus putting the ensemble into a mixed state. Based on analytical derivation and numerical simulations, we conclude that the GESP is more resistant to SE than the conventional echo squeezing protocol (CESP). This is another advantage of the GESP that has not been realized formerly. We also find that for the GESP employing Sr-88, the SE-induced reduction in the signal contrast is the same as that for a Ramsey protocol without squeezing and the quantum noise is suppressed by SE. This is an unexpectedly favorable result. The SE-induced suppression of quantum noise constitutes a previously unrecognized effect that challenges both earlier conclusions and intuitive expectations.
We consider a large class of Ramsey interferometry protocols which are enhanced by squeezing and un-squeezing operations before and after a phase signal is imprinted on the collective spin of N particles. We report an analytical optimization for any given particle number and strengths of (un-)squeezing. These results can be applied even when experimentally relevant decoherence processes during the squeezing and un-squeezing interactions are included. Noise between the two interactions is however not considered in this work. This provides a generalized characterization of squeezing echo protocols, recovering a number of known quantum metrological protocols as local sensitivity maxima, thereby proving their optimality. We discover a single new protocol. Its sensitivity enhancement relies on a double inversion of squeezing. In the general class of echo protocols, the newly found over-un-twisting protocol is singled out due to its Heisenberg scaling even at strong collective dephasing.