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:2407.13433 · Chinese Physics B

Precision bounds for quantum phase estimation using two-mode squeezed Gaussian states

Jiandong Zhang, Chuang Li, Lili 丽丽 Hou 侯, Shuai Wang

Published Nov 1, 2024• 4 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract Quantum phase estimation based on Gaussian states plays a crucial role in many application fields. In this paper, we study the precision bound for the scheme using two-mode squeezed Gaussian states. The quantum Fisher information is calculated and its maximization is used to determine the optimal parameters. We find that two single-mode squeezed vacuum states are the optimal Gaussian inputs for a fixed two-mode squeezing process. The corresponding precision bound is sub-Heisenberg-limited and scales as N −1/2. For practical purposes, we consider the effects originating from photon loss. The precision bound can still outperform the shot-noise limit when the lossy rate is below 0.4. Our work may demonstrate a significant and promising step towards practical quantum metrology.

DOI
10.1088/1674-1056/ad8dc0

Related papers

Sub-shot-noise-limited phase estimation via single-mode inputs

Jiandong Zhang, Chenglong You, Shuai Wang

In 1981, Caves pointed out that the phase sensitivity of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with single-mode inputs is bounded by the shot-noise limit. The quantum Fisher information analysis shows that this statement holds true for the scenario where two antisymmetric phase shifts occur in two arms, but it is invalid for the scenario where an unknown phase is embedded in one of two arms. In this paper, we focus on the phase sensitivity directed against the latter scenario. The optimal single-mode input is discussed by analyzing common states, including displaced squeezed states, displaced number states, squeezed number states, Schrödinger cat states and completely mixed states. We find that the best choice is a squeezed vacuum state and show the specific measurement scheme which is capable of saturating the corresponding phase sensitivity limit. In addition, we study the effects of several realistic factors-anti-squeezing noise, photon loss and dark counts-on the phase sensitivity. Our results suggest that sub-shot-noise-limited phase sensitivity is attainable with low noise or loss, which paves the way for practical metrology.

Optics Express•Oct 24, 2022•2 citations

Quantum limit of precision for phase estimation in squeezing-enhanced interferometry with a single-mode readout

Dmitri B. Horoshko, Fedor Jelezko

We consider an optical interferometer with coherent light in one input and a squeezed vacuum in another. Such an interferometer is known to beat the standard quantum limit of sensitivity to the difference of phase shifts in its arms. We find the ultimate limit of precision for such an interferometer by calculating the quantum Fisher information of the mixed quantum state in one of the interferometer's outputs about the difference phase. We show that, in the vicinity of the black fringe, this information is asymptotically close to the quantum Fisher information about this phase for the two-mode readout. We conclude that the single-mode readout is optimal for phase estimation in squeezing-enhanced interferometry and allows for the Heisenberg scaling of precision. We also show that the optimal local measurement in the vicinity of the black fringe consists of amplifying the output field in a phase-sensitive way and measuring its photon number.

quant-pharXiv:2603.07556•Mar 10, 2026•0 citations

Enhancement of the phase sensitivity with two-mode squeezed coherent state based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer

Jun Liu, Tao Shao, Yuanxiang Wang +4 more

We theoretically study the phase estimation based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with a two-mode squeezed coherent state. By maximizing the quantum Fisher information, we find that the quantum Cramér-Rao bounds (QCRB) can reach sub-Heisenberg limit under the phase-matched condition. The optimal phase sensitivity can reach the sub-shot noise limit (SNL) and approach the QCRB by employing the intensity difference detection. Meanwhile, compared with the MZI fed with a coherent plus a single-mode squeezed vacuum state, this scheme can have better performance by adjusting the squeezing parameter and the mean photon number. With the same parameter, our scheme shows more sensitive phase measurement than the SU(1,1) interferometer with a coherent plus a vacuum state. We also show that the phase sensitivity of our proposal can still reach the SNL when the loss of the photon is 36%. This scheme can provide potential applications in optical sensors.

Optics Express•Jul 26, 2023•13 citations

Quantum Metrology Via Quantum Non-Gaussian States Under Noise

Sang Woo Park, Changsuk Noh, Hyunchul Nha

Quantum metrology aims to achieve measurement precision that surpasses classical limits in the estimation of physical parameters. In realistic conditions, however, its advantage can be diminished by interactions between a quantum system and its environment. This necessitates careful design of quantum resources that can sustain enhanced performance even under noise. Here, we investigate how a quantum non-Gaussian operation can provide an advantage in noisy quantum metrology. Specifically, we examine the effect of single-photon subtraction applied to a two-mode squeezed vacuum state in the task of phase estimation using a Mach–Zehnder interferometer under photon loss. The single-photon subtraction can be implemented either before or after the first beam splitter in the interferometer. By evaluating the quantum Fisher information for both the original and the photon-subtracted states, we assess the potential enhancement in sensing precision. We show that the enhancement occurs when photon subtraction is performed before the first beam splitter, provided that loss acts only on the signal mode. Our findings shed light on the role of non-Gaussian operations in noisy quantum metrology, clarifying when photon subtraction can yield a genuine advantage over Gaussian resources.

Fluctuation and Noise Letters•Jan 10, 2026•0 citations

Deterministic Quantum Phase Estimation beyond N00N States

Jens Arnbak Holbøll Nielsen, Jonas Schou Neergaard-Nielsen, Tobias Gehring +1 more

The modern scientific method is critically dependent on precision measurements of physical parameters. A classic example is the measurement of the optical phase enabled by optical interferometry, where the error on the measured phase is conventionally bounded by the so-called Heisenberg limit. To achieve phase estimation at the Heisenberg limit, it has been common to consider protocols based on highly complex N00N states of light. However, despite decades of research and several experimental explorations, there has been no demonstration of deterministic phase estimation with N00N states reaching the Heisenberg limit or even surpassing the shot noise limit. Here we use a deterministic phase estimation scheme based on a source of Gaussian squeezed vacuum states and high-efficiency homodyne detection to obtain phase estimates with an extreme sensitivity that significantly surpasses the shot noise limit and even beats the conventional Heisenberg limit as well as the performance of a pure N00N state protocol. Using a high-efficiency setup with a total loss of about 11%, we achieve a Fisher information of 15.8(6) rad^{-2} per photon-a significant increase in performance compared to state of the art and beyond an ideal six photon N00N state scheme. This work represents an important achievement in quantum metrology, and it opens the door to future quantum sensing technologies for the interrogation of light-sensitive biological systems.

arXiv:2111.09756•Physical Review Letters•Mar 24, 2023•51 citations

Optimal Gaussian measurements for phase estimation in single-mode Gaussian metrology

Changhun Oh, Changhyoup Lee, Carsten Rockstuhl +4 more

Abstract The central issue in quantum parameter estimation is to find out the optimal measurement setup that leads to the ultimate lower bound of an estimation error. We address here a question of whether a Gaussian measurement scheme can achieve the ultimate bound for phase estimation in single-mode Gaussian metrology that exploits single-mode Gaussian probe states in a Gaussian environment. We identify three types of optimal Gaussian measurement setups yielding the maximal Fisher information depending on displacement, squeezing, and thermalization of the probe state. We show that the homodyne measurement attains the ultimate bound for both displaced thermal probe states and squeezed vacuum probe states, whereas for the other single-mode Gaussian probe states, the optimized Gaussian measurement cannot be the optimal setup, although they are sometimes nearly optimal. We then demonstrate that the measurement on the basis of the product quadrature operators $$\hat X\hat P + \hat P\hat X$$ X ̂ P ̂ + P ̂ X ̂ , i.e., a non-Gaussian measurement, is required to be fully optimal.

arXiv:1805.08495•npj Quantum Information•Jan 28, 2019•81 citations
Abstract Quantum phase estimation based on Gaussian states plays a crucial role in many application fields. In this paper, we study the precision bound for the scheme using two-mode squeezed Gaussian states. The quantum Fisher information is calculated and its maximization is used to determine the optimal parameters. We find that two single-mode squeezed vacuum states are the optimal Gaussian inputs for a fixed two-mode squeezing process. The corresponding precision bound is sub-Heisenberg-limited and scales as N −1/2. For practical purposes, we consider the effects originating from photon loss. The precision bound can still outperform the shot-noise limit when the lossy rate is below 0.4. Our work may demonstrate a significant and promising step towards practical quantum metrology.
In 1981, Caves pointed out that the phase sensitivity of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with single-mode inputs is bounded by the shot-noise limit. The quantum Fisher information analysis shows that this statement holds true for the scenario where two antisymmetric phase shifts occur in two arms, but it is invalid for the scenario where an unknown phase is embedded in one of two arms. In this paper, we focus on the phase sensitivity directed against the latter scenario. The optimal single-mode input is discussed by analyzing common states, including displaced squeezed states, displaced number states, squeezed number states, Schrödinger cat states and completely mixed states. We find that the best choice is a squeezed vacuum state and show the specific measurement scheme which is capable of saturating the corresponding phase sensitivity limit. In addition, we study the effects of several realistic factors-anti-squeezing noise, photon loss and dark counts-on the phase sensitivity. Our results suggest that sub-shot-noise-limited phase sensitivity is attainable with low noise or loss, which paves the way for practical metrology.
We consider an optical interferometer with coherent light in one input and a squeezed vacuum in another. Such an interferometer is known to beat the standard quantum limit of sensitivity to the difference of phase shifts in its arms. We find the ultimate limit of precision for such an interferometer by calculating the quantum Fisher information of the mixed quantum state in one of the interferometer's outputs about the difference phase. We show that, in the vicinity of the black fringe, this information is asymptotically close to the quantum Fisher information about this phase for the two-mode readout. We conclude that the single-mode readout is optimal for phase estimation in squeezing-enhanced interferometry and allows for the Heisenberg scaling of precision. We also show that the optimal local measurement in the vicinity of the black fringe consists of amplifying the output field in a phase-sensitive way and measuring its photon number.
We theoretically study the phase estimation based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with a two-mode squeezed coherent state. By maximizing the quantum Fisher information, we find that the quantum Cramér-Rao bounds (QCRB) can reach sub-Heisenberg limit under the phase-matched condition. The optimal phase sensitivity can reach the sub-shot noise limit (SNL) and approach the QCRB by employing the intensity difference detection. Meanwhile, compared with the MZI fed with a coherent plus a single-mode squeezed vacuum state, this scheme can have better performance by adjusting the squeezing parameter and the mean photon number. With the same parameter, our scheme shows more sensitive phase measurement than the SU(1,1) interferometer with a coherent plus a vacuum state. We also show that the phase sensitivity of our proposal can still reach the SNL when the loss of the photon is 36%. This scheme can provide potential applications in optical sensors.
Quantum metrology aims to achieve measurement precision that surpasses classical limits in the estimation of physical parameters. In realistic conditions, however, its advantage can be diminished by interactions between a quantum system and its environment. This necessitates careful design of quantum resources that can sustain enhanced performance even under noise. Here, we investigate how a quantum non-Gaussian operation can provide an advantage in noisy quantum metrology. Specifically, we examine the effect of single-photon subtraction applied to a two-mode squeezed vacuum state in the task of phase estimation using a Mach–Zehnder interferometer under photon loss. The single-photon subtraction can be implemented either before or after the first beam splitter in the interferometer. By evaluating the quantum Fisher information for both the original and the photon-subtracted states, we assess the potential enhancement in sensing precision. We show that the enhancement occurs when photon subtraction is performed before the first beam splitter, provided that loss acts only on the signal mode. Our findings shed light on the role of non-Gaussian operations in noisy quantum metrology, clarifying when photon subtraction can yield a genuine advantage over Gaussian resources.
The modern scientific method is critically dependent on precision measurements of physical parameters. A classic example is the measurement of the optical phase enabled by optical interferometry, where the error on the measured phase is conventionally bounded by the so-called Heisenberg limit. To achieve phase estimation at the Heisenberg limit, it has been common to consider protocols based on highly complex N00N states of light. However, despite decades of research and several experimental explorations, there has been no demonstration of deterministic phase estimation with N00N states reaching the Heisenberg limit or even surpassing the shot noise limit. Here we use a deterministic phase estimation scheme based on a source of Gaussian squeezed vacuum states and high-efficiency homodyne detection to obtain phase estimates with an extreme sensitivity that significantly surpasses the shot noise limit and even beats the conventional Heisenberg limit as well as the performance of a pure N00N state protocol. Using a high-efficiency setup with a total loss of about 11%, we achieve a Fisher information of 15.8(6) rad^{-2} per photon-a significant increase in performance compared to state of the art and beyond an ideal six photon N00N state scheme. This work represents an important achievement in quantum metrology, and it opens the door to future quantum sensing technologies for the interrogation of light-sensitive biological systems.
Abstract The central issue in quantum parameter estimation is to find out the optimal measurement setup that leads to the ultimate lower bound of an estimation error. We address here a question of whether a Gaussian measurement scheme can achieve the ultimate bound for phase estimation in single-mode Gaussian metrology that exploits single-mode Gaussian probe states in a Gaussian environment. We identify three types of optimal Gaussian measurement setups yielding the maximal Fisher information depending on displacement, squeezing, and thermalization of the probe state. We show that the homodyne measurement attains the ultimate bound for both displaced thermal probe states and squeezed vacuum probe states, whereas for the other single-mode Gaussian probe states, the optimized Gaussian measurement cannot be the optimal setup, although they are sometimes nearly optimal. We then demonstrate that the measurement on the basis of the product quadrature operators X^P^+P^X^\hat X\hat P + \hat P\hat XX^P^+P^X^ X ̂ P ̂ + P ̂ X ̂ , i.e., a non-Gaussian measurement, is required to be fully optimal.