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arXiv:2302.00733

Matters Arising: Distributed quantum sensing with mode-entangled spin-squeezed atomic states

Liam Paul McGuinness

Published Feb 1, 2023• 0 citations
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Abstract

In ``Distributed quantum sensing with mode-entangled spin-squeezed atomic states" Nature (2022), Malia et. al. claim to improve the precision of a network of clocks by using entanglement. In particular, by entangling a clock network with up to four nodes, a precision 11.6 dB better than the quantum projection noise limit (i.e. precision without any entanglement) is reported. These claims are incorrect, Malia et. al. do not achieve an improved precision with entanglement. Here we show their demonstration is more than two orders of magnitude worse than the quantum projection noise limit.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2302.00733

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In ``Distributed quantum sensing with mode-entangled spin-squeezed atomic states" Nature (2022), Malia et. al. claim to improve the precision of a network of clocks by using entanglement. In particular, by entangling a clock network with up to four nodes, a precision 11.6 dB better than the quantum projection noise limit (i.e. precision without any entanglement) is reported. These claims are incorrect, Malia et. al. do not achieve an improved precision with entanglement. Here we show their demonstration is more than two orders of magnitude worse than the quantum projection noise limit.
Ultimate quantum fluctuations which limit the fundamental precision in metrology can be only reduced by entanglement of particles. In particular, squeezing of the fluctuations called the spin projection noise by means of generation of entanglement in an ensemble of atoms can improve the precision of spectroscopy and of atomic clocks. A powerful tool for generation of multiparticle entanglement is a quantum nondemolition measurement (QND). We will describe the fundamentals of QND measurement of atomic collective state with light and present a recent experiment [1] where this method has been used to reduce the projection noise on the clock transition in an ensemble of 105 cold and trapped Cesium atoms. Another method for generation of spin squeezing via electron-nucleus entanglement applicable only for atoms with angular momentum higher than ½ will be also discussed [2].
Building scalable quantum systems that demonstrate genuine performance enhancement based on entanglement is a major scientific goal for fields including computing, networking, simulations, and metrology. The tremendous challenge arises from the fragility of entanglement in increasingly larger sized quantum systems. Optical atomic clocks utilizing a large number of atoms have pushed the frontier of measurement science, building on precise engineering of quantum states and control of atomic interactions. However, today's state-of-the-art optical atomic clocks are limited by the quantum projection noise (QPN) defined by many uncorrelated atoms. Pioneering work on producing spin squeezed states of atoms has shown a path towards integrating entanglement into the best performing clocks. However, to directly demonstrate advantage of quantum entanglement in a working clock we must prevent backaction effects that degrade quantum coherence and introduce uncontrolled perturbations, as well as minimize the influence of technical noise arising from the interrogating clock laser. Here we present a new optical clock platform integrated with collective strong-coupling cavity QED for quantum non-demolition (QND) measurement. Optimizing the competition between spin measurement precision and loss of coherence, we measure a Wineland parameter of -1.8(7) dB for 1.9x104^44 atoms, thus verifying the presence of entanglement. Furthermore, a moving lattice allows the cavity to individually address two independent sub-ensembles, enabling us to spin squeeze two clock ensembles successively and compare their performance. This differential comparison between the two squeezed clocks directly verifies enhanced clock stability of 2.0(3) dB below QPN, and 0.6(3) dB above the standard quantum limit (SQL), at the measurement precision level of 10−17^{-17}−17, without subtracting any technical noise contributions.
In their paper "Time-reversal-based quantum metrology with many-body entangled states" Nature Physics (2022), Colombo et. al. claim to measure both an unknown phase and an oscillating magnetic field with a precision that cannot be achieved using independent particles - a limit known as the standard quantum limit. By entangling an ensemble of ∼300\sim300∼300 atoms, Colombo et. al. measure an angle of rotation away from a known initial state and additionally measure a magnetic field oscillating at 290 Hz. The authors report an experimental precision approximately a factor of 4 beyond what is possible with the same number of independent atoms (12.8 dB and 11.8 dB for these tasks respectively). These claims are incorrect. Colombo et. al. do not surpass the precision bound for 300 independent particles, nor do they even surpass the precision bound for a single particle. Colombo et. al. cite several experiments that surpass the standard quantum limit using entanglement. Each and every paper cited performs incorrect, incomplete or misleading comparisons of the type that we highlight here. The consequence being that the single particle precision bound has never been experimentally surpassed with entanglement.
Spin squeezing is a form of entanglement that can improve the stability of quantum sensors operating with multiple particles, by inducing inter-particle correlations that redistribute the quantum projection noise. Previous analyses of potential metrological gain when using spin squeezing were performed on theoretically ideal states, without incorporating experimental imperfections or inherent limitations which result in non-unitary quantum state evolution. Here, we show that potential gains in clock stability are substantially reduced when the spin squeezing is non-unitary, and derive analytic formulas for the clock performance as a function of squeezing, excess spin noise, and interferometer contrast. Our results highlight the importance of creating and employing nearly pure entangled states for improving atomic clocks.
Optical atomic clocks with unrivaled precision and accuracy have advanced the frontier of precision measurement science and opened new avenues for exploring fundamental physics. A fundamental limitation on clock precision is the standard quantum limit (SQL), which stems from the uncorrelated projection noise of each atom. State-of-the-art optical lattice clocks interrogate large ensembles to minimize the SQL, but density-dependent frequency shifts pose challenges to scaling the atom number. The SQL can be surpassed, however, by leveraging entanglement, though it remains an open problem to achieve quantum advantage from spin squeezing at state-of-the-art stability levels. Here, we demonstrate clock performance beyond the SQL, achieving a fractional frequency precision of 1.1×10^{-18} for a single spin-squeezed clock. With cavity-based quantum nondemolition measurements, we prepare two spin-squeezed ensembles of ∼30 000 strontium atoms confined in a two-dimensional optical lattice. A synchronous clock comparison with an interrogation time of 61 ms achieves a metrological improvement of 2.0(2) dB beyond the SQL, after correcting for state preparation and measurement errors. These results establish the most precise entanglement-enhanced clock to date and offer a powerful platform for exploring the interplay of gravity and quantum entanglement.