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arXiv:2505.05058 · Physical Review Research

Non-Hermitian sensing from the perspective of postselected measurements

Neng Zeng, Tao Liu, Keyu Xia, Yu-Ran Zhang, Franco Nori

Published Nov 24, 2025• 12 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

By employing the Naimark dilation, we establish a fundamental connection between non-Hermitian quantum sensing and postselected measurements. The sensitivity of non-Hermitian quantum sensors is determined by the effective quantum Fisher information (QFI), which incorporates the success probability of postselection. We demonstrate that non-Hermitian sensors, regardless of the specific form of decoherence or the choice of probe states, cannot outperform their Hermitian counterpart when all information is harnessed, since the total QFI for the extended system constrains the effective QFI of the non-Hermitian subsystem. Moreover, we quantify the efficiency of non-Hermitian sensors with the ratio of the effective QFI to the total QFI, which can be optimized within the framework of postselected measurements with minimal experimental trials. In addition, the performances of non-Hermitian sensors versus different types of technical noises can be judged using our framework. Our work provides a distinctive theoretical framework for investigating non-Hermitian quantum sensing and designing noise-resilient quantum metrological protocols.

DOI
10.1103/g3n3-gh49

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By employing the Naimark dilation, we establish a fundamental connection between non-Hermitian quantum sensing and postselected measurements. The sensitivity of non-Hermitian quantum sensors is determined by the effective quantum Fisher information (QFI), which incorporates the success probability of postselection. We demonstrate that non-Hermitian sensors, regardless of the specific form of decoherence or the choice of probe states, cannot outperform their Hermitian counterpart when all information is harnessed, since the total QFI for the extended system constrains the effective QFI of the non-Hermitian subsystem. Moreover, we quantify the efficiency of non-Hermitian sensors with the ratio of the effective QFI to the total QFI, which can be optimized within the framework of postselected measurements with minimal experimental trials. In addition, the performances of non-Hermitian sensors versus different types of technical noises can be judged using our framework. Our work provides a distinctive theoretical framework for investigating non-Hermitian quantum sensing and designing noise-resilient quantum metrological protocols.
Non-Hermitian systems have emerged as a powerful paradigm for ultrasensitive sensing, leveraging unique spectral and dynamical properties unmatched in Hermitian physics. While recent theoretical bounds suggest these protocols offer no metrological advantage over Hermitian ones in the ideal shot-noise-limited regime when rigorously accounting for the success probability of non-unitary evolution, their practical utility in realistic experimental conditions has not yet been systematically explored. In this work, we shift the focus toward practical laboratory performance and demonstrate that non-Hermitian sensing protocols can significantly outperform their Hermitian counterparts in the presence of pervasive classical technical noises. This performance gain mainly stems from a strongly enhanced susceptibility that amplifies the signal response, effectively overcoming the precision floor imposed by technical imperfections. By numerically evaluating the Fisher information under technical noise, we further substantiate the regimes where non-Hermitian platforms yield definitive practical gains. Our results reconcile the ongoing debate between fundamental limits and experimental observations, offering a concrete avenue for building high-precision, noise-resilient sensors.
Quantum Fisher Information (QFI) is a fundamental quantity in quantum parameter estimation theory, characterizing the ultimate precision bound of parameter estimation. In this work, we investigate QFI for quantum states in non-Hermitian systems. By employing the projected Hilbert space method and spectral decomposition, we derive an explicit expression for the QFI in terms of the density matrix and parameter generators. This formulation not only recovers the well-known results in the Hermitian case but also captures the non-Hermitian effects induced by the time-dependent norm of the state. To validate our theoretical framework, we analyze a single-qubit pseudo-Hermitian system and apply Naimark dilation theory to embed it into an equivalent Hermitian system. The comparison between the original and dilated systems demonstrates the consistency and applicability of the proposed QFI formula in non-Hermitian settings. In addition, we investigate a PT\mathcal{PT}PT-symmetric system to further explore the influence of non-Hermiticity on QFI. Our findings offer a new perspective for analyzing and enhancing QFI in non-Hermitian systems, paving the way for promising applications in non-Hermitian quantum metrology and sensing.
Considering non-Hermitian systems implemented by utilizing enlarged quantum systems, we determine the fundamental limits for the sensitivity of non-Hermitian sensors from the perspective of quantum information. We prove that non-Hermitian sensors do not outperform their Hermitian counterparts (directly couple to the parameter) in the performance of sensitivity, due to the invariance of the quantum information about the parameter. By scrutinizing two concrete non-Hermitian sensing proposals, which are implemented using full quantum systems, we demonstrate that the sensitivity of these sensors is in agreement with our predictions. Our theory offers a comprehensive and model-independent framework for understanding the fundamental limits of non-Hermitian quantum sensors and builds the bridge over the gap between non-Hermitian physics and quantum metrology.
Abstract Quantifying measurement precision in quantum systems is vital for advancing quantum technologies such as sensing, communication, and computation. The quantum Fisher information (QFI) sets the ultimate precision bound in Hermitian systems; however, extending this concept to non-Hermitian systems, even those with real spectra, poses conceptual challenges due to their non-unitary dynamics. We compare three probability-conserving approaches for evaluating QFI in such systems: (i) simple normalization, (ii) metric formalism, and (iii) master-equation framework. Although all three ensure probability conservation, they differ in physical interpretation and in how they quantify estimation precision. Our study is particularly motivated by previous studies that have shown that the simple normalization method for non-Hermitian Hamiltonian generated dynamics may lead to misleading or even unphysical conclusions for certain quantum information theoretic tasks. We emphasize, in this article, that the metric formalism naturally enables the use of standard Hermitian metrology tools in cases where it provides a coherent and physically consistent framework for non-Hermitian systems.
Exceptional points (EPs) exhibit strongly enhanced spectral responses and are therefore promising candidates for sensing applications. Whether these non-Hermitian degeneracies provide a genuine advantage in the quantum regime has been the subject of ongoing debate. Here, we address this issue within a scattering-matrix formalism for sensing with coherent light, which allows the quantum Fisher information (QFI) to be evaluated directly from experimentally accessible scattering data without introducing additional noise channels beyond those inherent to the scattering process. We analyze both nondegenerate and degenerate scattering-matrix poles, including EPs of arbitrary order, and show that the QFI per incoming photon flux is governed by three key factors: the decay rate of the resonant mode, the strength of the spectral response associated with non-normality, and the adjustment between the scattering states and the information source. For spatially localized perturbations, this implies that the Fisher information is fully determined by the local density of states at the perturbation site. Within this framework, we demonstrate that EPs can enhance the QFI compared to isolated modes or diabolic points with identical decay rates, and that the QFI can be further increased by moving away from the EP toward parameter regimes where non-Hermitian linewidth splitting reduces the decay rate of one mode. We further show that sufficiently small additional internal losses do not alter this overall picture, thereby providing a unified and experimentally relevant perspective on the design of quantum-limited non-Hermitian sensors.
Non-Hermitian systems have attracted considerable interest over the last few decades due to their unique spectral and dynamical properties not encountered in Hermitian counterparts. An intensely debated question is whether non-Hermitian systems, described by pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonians with real spectra, can offer enhanced sensitivity for parameter estimation when they are operated at or close to exceptional points. However, much of the current analysis and conclusions are based on mathematical formalism developed for Hermitian quantum systems, which is questionable when applied to pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonians, whose Hilbert space is intrinsically nonflat. Here, we develop a covariant formulation of quantum Fisher information (QFI) defined on the deformed Hilbert space of pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonians. This covariant framework ensures the preservation of the state norm and enables a consistent treatment of parameter sensitivity. We further show that the covariant QFI of pseudo-Hermitian systems is dual to the ordinary QFI of corresponding Hermitian systems. Importantly, this correspondence naturally imposes an upper bound on the covariant QFI and allows one to identify optimal projections which saturate the corresponding classical Fisher information to this ultimate limit. The developed framework also enables to set the criteria under which pseudo-Hermitian sensors can exhibit an advantage over their Hermitian counterparts of the same dimensionality.