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arXiv:2511.05042 · SciPost Physics

Bounds on quantum Fisher information and uncertainty relations for thermodynamically conjugate variables

Ye-Ming Meng, Zhe-Yu Shi

quant-phcond-mat.stat-mechSubmitted Nov 7, 2025• Announced Nov 10, 2025• 1 citation
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Abstract

Uncertainty relations represent a foundational principle in quantum mechanics, imposing inherent limits on the precision with which \textit{mechanically} conjugate variables such as position and momentum can be simultaneously determined. This work establishes analogous relations for \textit{thermodynamically} conjugate variables -- specifically, a classical intensive parameter $θ$ and its corresponding extensive quantum operator $\hat{O}$ -- in equilibrium states. We develop a framework to derive a rigorous thermodynamic uncertainty relation for such pairs, where the uncertainty of the classical parameter $θ$ is quantified by its quantum Fisher information $\mathcal{F}_θ$. The framework is based on an exact integral representation that relates $\mathcal{F}_θ$ to the autocorrelation function of operator $\hat{O}$. From this representation, we derive a tight upper bound for the quantum Fisher information, which yields a thermodynamic uncertainty relation: $Δθ\,\overline{ΔO} \ge k_\text{B}T$ with $\overline{ΔO}\equiv\partial_θ\langle\hat{O}\rangle\,Δθ$ and $T$ is the system temperature. The result establishes a fundamental precision limit for quantum sensing and metrology in thermal systems, directly connecting it to the thermodynamic properties of linear response and fluctuations.

Journal reference
SciPost Phys. 20, 177 (2026)
DOI
10.21468/SciPostPhys.20.6.177
Comments
14 pages, 3 figures

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We derive the quantum Fisher information for entropy estimation in a Gibbs state and show that it equals the inverse of the heat capacity, which is dual to the temperature Fisher information given by the heat capacity divided by the square of the temperature. Their product is independent of the Hamiltonian and depends only on the temperature, leading to a metrological uncertainty relation between the variances of entropy and temperature estimators in which all system-specific quantities cancel. This relation arises from the dually-flat structure of the Gibbs exponential family expressed in thermodynamic coordinates, and holds for all standard thermodynamically conjugate pairs. We identify energy measurement as the optimal protocol for entropy estimation, analyse critical-point scaling where the entropy Fisher information vanishes, and connect it to the Ruppeiner metric in entropy coordinates. We lastly examine the distinguished role of the von Neumann entropy within the Rényi family. Generalisations to the grand canonical and generalised Gibbs ensembles are given.
Understanding how thermal fluctuations modify or suppress quantum-enhanced sensing is a central problem in quantum metrology. Closely related questions arise in quantum thermodynamics, particularly regarding the relation between the work induced by a signal and the information acquired by a sensor. Here, we establish general relations among the sensitivity of thermal quantum states, as quantified by different quantum Fisher information metrics, their temperature dependence, and the work induced by a unitary signal. We further show that, at high temperature, all monotone QFI metrics coincide to leading order with a universal quantity that can be expressed as the variance of a simple observable and itself defines a lesser-known QFI metric. This emergent uniqueness is reminiscent of the uniqueness of classical Fisher information in information geometry. In continuous-variable systems, the infinite-temperature limit is finite and generically non-zero for quadratic Gaussian signals, while it diverges for higher-degree signals. Remarkably, for any purely quadratic signal generator, the infinite-temperature QFI is at least twice the zero-temperature SLD QFI or, equivalently, at least eight times the ground-state variance of the generator. Consequently, the Cramér--Rao lower bound on the estimator variance is reduced by at least a factor of two. We illustrate these results using harmonic chains of bosonic modes relevant to trapped-ion platforms and quantum field-theoretic models.
We derive a thermodynamic uncertainty relation for first passage processes in quantum Markov chains. We consider first passage processes that stop after a fixed number of jump events, which contrasts with typical quantum Markov chains which end at a fixed time. We obtain bounds for the observables of the first passage processes in quantum Markov chains by the Loschmidt echo, which quantifies the extent of irreversibility in quantum many-body systems. Considering a particular case, we show that the lower bound corresponds to the quantum Fisher information, which plays a fundamental role in uncertainty relations in quantum systems. Moreover, considering classical dynamics, our bound reduces to a thermodynamic uncertainty relation for classical first passage processes.
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This work unifies the equilibrium and non-equilibrium frameworks of quantum metrology within the context of many-body systems. We investigate dynamic sensing schemes to derive an upper bound on the quantum Fisher information for probe states in thermal equilibrium with their environment. We establish that the dynamic quantum Fisher information for a thermal probe state is upper bounded by the degree of non-commutation between the transformed local generator and the Hamiltonian for the thermal state. Furthermore, we show that this upper bound scales as the square of the product of the inverse temperature and the evolution time. In the low-temperature limit, we establish an additional upper bound expressed as the seminorm of the commutator divided by the energy gap. We apply this thermal dynamic sensing scheme to various models, demonstrating that the dynamic quantum Fisher information satisfies the established upper bounds.
The precision and response of trajectory observables offer valuable insights into the behavior of nonequilibrium systems. For classical systems, trade-offs between these characteristics and thermodynamic costs, such as entropy production and dynamical activity, have been established through uncertainty relations. Quantum systems, however, present unique challenges, where quantum coherence can enhance precision and violate classical uncertainty relations. In this study, we derive trade-off relations for stochastic observables in Markovian open quantum systems. Specifically, we present three key results: (i) a quantum generalization of the thermokinetic uncertainty relation, which bounds the relative fluctuations of currents in terms of entropy production and dynamical activity; (ii) a quantum inverse uncertainty relation, which constrains the relative fluctuations of arbitrary counting observables based on their instantaneous fluctuations and the spectral gap of the symmetrized Liouvillian; and (iii) a quantum response kinetic uncertainty relation, which bounds the response of general observables to kinetic perturbations in terms of dynamical activity. These fundamental bounds, validated numerically using a three-level maser and a boundary-driven X X Z spin chain, provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the interplay between precision, response, and thermodynamic costs in quantum systems.