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arXiv:2512.14899

Quantum Fisher-information limits of resonant nanophotonic sensors: why high-Q is not optimal even at the quantum limit

J. Sumaya-Martinez

quant-phSubmitted Dec 16, 2025• Announced Dec 18, 2025• 0 citations
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Abstract

We develop a quantum metrological framework for resonant nanophotonic sensors based on subwavelength Fabry--Perot slit cavities. Building on classical Fisher-information analyses of resonant transmission sensors, we model parameter encoding as a phase-and-loss quantum channel embedded in one arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We derive the quantum Fisher information (QFI) for coherent and Gaussian probe states under linear loss and show that, even at the quantum limit, optimal estimation precision is governed by the generator of parameter-dependent phase shifts rather than by the cavity quality factor. Consequently, the operating point that maximizes the QFI does not generally coincide with the maximum-Q resonance. Quantum resources enhance sensitivity but do not redefine the optimal geometry. Our results provide physically transparent design principles for quantum-enhanced nanophotonic sensing.

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We develop a quantum metrological framework for resonant nanophotonic sensors based on subwavelength Fabry--Perot slit cavities. Building on classical Fisher-information analyses of resonant transmission sensors, we model parameter encoding as a phase-and-loss quantum channel embedded in one arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We derive the quantum Fisher information (QFI) for coherent and Gaussian probe states under linear loss and show that, even at the quantum limit, optimal estimation precision is governed by the generator of parameter-dependent phase shifts rather than by the cavity quality factor. Consequently, the operating point that maximizes the QFI does not generally coincide with the maximum-Q resonance. Quantum resources enhance sensitivity but do not redefine the optimal geometry. Our results provide physically transparent design principles for quantum-enhanced nanophotonic sensing.
We develop a quantum metrological framework for resonant nanophotonic sensors based on subwavelength Fabry-Perot (FP) slit cavities. Building directly on classical Fisher-information analyses of resonant transmission sensors, we model parameter encoding as a phase-and-loss quantum channel embedded in one arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We derive the quantum Fisher information (QFI) for coherent and Gaussian probe states under linear loss and show that, even at the quantum limit, optimal estimation precision is governed by the generator of parameter-dependent phase shifts-dominated by interface contributions-rather than by the cavity quality factor. Consequently, the operating point that maximizes QFI does not generally coincide with the maximum-Q resonance. Quantum resources enhance sensitivity but do not redefine the optimal geometry. Our results provide physically transparent design principles for quantum-enhanced nanophotonic sensing and clarify the central role of boundaries and loss in quantum-limited precision.
Fiber-optic resonator sensors enable high-sensitivity measurements of various physical parameters. Here, we demonstrate a quantum-enhanced interrogation scheme of an all-fiber-optic Fabry-Pèrot resonator, employing entangled two-photon interference to probe directly strain-induced optical phase shifts. The resonator is interrogated by a narrow-linewidth laser frequency-locked to its resonance mode, thereby exploiting the cavity’s inherent sensitivity to variations in the fiber length and refractive index. To access the phase fluctuations transferred to the interrogation field due to external perturbations on the sensor, we implement an in-fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer readout. This configuration allows the sensor to operate both with classical coherent light and with entangled photon pairs generated via spontaneous parametric down-conversion. Harnessing two-photon entangled states corresponding to an N = 2 N00N state, we experimentally demonstrate a reduction of the measurement noise below the standard quantum limit. These results provide clear evidence of the quantum advantage in enhancing fiber-optic sensors under practical constraints on optical power
Fiber-optic resonator sensors enable high-sensitivity measurements of various physical parameters. Here, we demonstrate a quantum-enhanced interrogation scheme of an all-fiber-optic Fabry-Pèrot resonator, employing entangled two-photon interference to probe directly strain-induced optical phase shifts. The resonator is interrogated by a narrow-linewidth laser frequency-locked to its resonance mode, thereby exploiting the cavity’s inherent sensitivity to variations in the fiber length and refractive index. To access the phase fluctuations transferred to the interrogation field due to external perturbations on the sensor, we implement an in-fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer readout. This configuration allows the sensor to operate both with classical coherent light and with entangled photon pairs generated via spontaneous parametric down-conversion. Harnessing two-photon entangled states corresponding to an N = 2 N00N state, we experimentally demonstrate a reduction of the measurement noise below the standard quantum limit. These results provide clear evidence of the quantum advantage in enhancing fiber-optic sensors under practical constraints on optical power
For a given quantum state used in sensing, the quantum Cramér-Rao bound (QCRB) sets a fundamental limit on the precision achievable by an unbiased estimator of an unknown parameter, determined by the inverse of the quantum Fisher information (QFI). The QFI serves as an upper bound on the classical Fisher information (CFI), representing the maximum extractable information about the unknown parameter from measurements on a physical system. Thus, a central goal in quantum parameter estimation is to find a measurement, described by a POVM, that saturates the QFI (achieves maximum CFI), and thereby achieves the QCRB. In the idealization that one uses pure states and unitary encodings for sensing, discontinuities can appear in the CFI but not the QFI. In this article, we demonstrate that these discontinuities are important features, quantifying how much Fisher information is lost in the presence of noise. We refer to this as the Fisher information "fragility". We present a simple framework for understanding how discontinuities increase fragility through Jensen's inequality, and demonstrate how one can use this framework to design more robust POVMs for quantum advantage in metrology.
Fiber-optic resonator sensors enable high-sensitivity measurements of various physical parameters. Here, we demonstrate a quantum-enhanced interrogation scheme of an all-fiber-optic Fabry-Pèrot resonator, employing entangled two-photon interference to probe directly strain-induced optical phase shifts. The resonator is interrogated by a narrow-linewidth laser frequency-locked to its resonance mode, thereby exploiting the cavity’s inherent sensitivity to variations in the fiber length and refractive index. To access the phase fluctuations transferred to the interrogation field due to external perturbations on the sensor, we implement an in-fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer readout. This configuration allows the sensor to operate both with classical coherent light and with entangled photon pairs generated via spontaneous parametric down-conversion. Harnessing two-photon entangled states corresponding to an N = 2 N00N state, we experimentally demonstrate a reduction of the measurement noise below the standard quantum limit. These results provide clear evidence of the quantum advantage in enhancing fiber-optic sensors under practical constraints on optical power
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.