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arXiv:2605.19545

Quantum-enhanced distributed network sensing using multiple quantum resources

Rui Zhang, Zi-Yu Zhou, Wen-Quan Yang, Ya-Feng Jiao, Xun-Wei Xu, Le-Man Kuang

quant-phSubmitted May 19, 2026• Announced May 20, 2026• 0 citations
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Abstract

We propose a theoretical scheme for quantum enhanced distributed network sensing, targeting multiphase estimation by leveraging multiple quantum resources. Specifically, we investigate the performance advantage in a distributed quantum network (DQN) for multiphase sensing by integrating three types of quantum resources(TQRs): quantum catalysis, entanglement, and squeezing. Our results reveal that employing all three TQRs leads to better sensing performance than using only two TQRs under both lossless and lossy conditions, with precision approaching the Heisenberg limit. We further demonstrate that partial quantum catalysis providesa stronger precision advantage than global catalysis in both ideal and noisy regimes. We identify a practical homodyne measurement scheme for globally and partially catalyzed multimode W type coherent states, whose measurement sensitivity can approach the corresponding quantum Cramer Rao bound. In this practical setting, partial catalysis also yields better measurement sensitivity than global catalysis. Moreover, under photon loss, both global and partial catalysis of multimode W type coherent states exhibit a loss catalysis dual enhanced sensitivity region. These findings highlight the quantum-enhanced advantages conferred by hybrid quantum resources for practical DQN sensing applications. Our work opens a way for realizing quantum-enhanced DQN sensing.

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We propose a theoretical scheme for quantum enhanced distributed network sensing, targeting multiphase estimation by leveraging multiple quantum resources. Specifically, we investigate the performance advantage in a distributed quantum network (DQN) for multiphase sensing by integrating three types of quantum resources(TQRs): quantum catalysis, entanglement, and squeezing. Our results reveal that employing all three TQRs leads to better sensing performance than using only two TQRs under both lossless and lossy conditions, with precision approaching the Heisenberg limit. We further demonstrate that partial quantum catalysis providesa stronger precision advantage than global catalysis in both ideal and noisy regimes. We identify a practical homodyne measurement scheme for globally and partially catalyzed multimode W type coherent states, whose measurement sensitivity can approach the corresponding quantum Cramer Rao bound. In this practical setting, partial catalysis also yields better measurement sensitivity than global catalysis. Moreover, under photon loss, both global and partial catalysis of multimode W type coherent states exhibit a loss catalysis dual enhanced sensitivity region. These findings highlight the quantum-enhanced advantages conferred by hybrid quantum resources for practical DQN sensing applications. Our work opens a way for realizing quantum-enhanced DQN sensing.
Distributed quantum sensing, which estimates a global parameter across distant nodes, has attracted significant interest for applications such as quantum imaging, sensor networks, and global-scale clock synchronization. N00N states are regarded as one of the optimal quantum resources for quantum metrology, enabling the Heisenberg scaling. Recently, the concept of N00N states has been extended to multimode N00N states for quantum-enhanced multiple-parameter estimation. However, the application of multimode N00N states in distributed quantum sensing remains unexplored. Here, we propose a distributed quantum sensing scheme that achieves the Heisenberg scaling using multimode N00N states. We theoretically show that multimode N00N states can reach the Heisenberg scaling by examining both the Cramér-Rao bound and the quantum Cramér-Rao bound. For experimental demonstration, we employ a four-mode 2002 state to estimate the average of two spatially distributed phases, achieving a 2.74 dB sensitivity enhancement over the standard quantum limit. We believe that utilizing multimode N00N states for distributed quantum sensing offers a promising approach for developing entanglement-enhanced sensor networks.
Distributed quantum metrology can improve the sensitivity in estimating arbitrary positive-weight linear combinations beyond the classical limit. It is known that multimode entangled states are crucial for distributed metrology. However, strategies to efficiently engineer multimode entangled states and harness them in distributed quantum metrology remains largely unexplored. In this work, we introduce a concept for distributed quantum sensing utilizing nonlinear optical networks. Unlike linear optical networks, nonlinear optical networks utilize optical parametric amplifiers instead of beam splitters for beam splitting. Here, we employ both simultaneous estimation (global) and separate estimation (local) methods to estimate linear combinations and derive the quantum Cram\'er-Rao bound for the two schemes, respectively. Our findings indicate that the sensitivity of the global strategy surpasses that of the local strategy and reaches the Heisenberg limit. Notably, direct intensity detection saturates the quantum Cram\'er-Rao bound. Furthermore, we characterize loss effects on measurement sensitivity, revealing the reduction in sensitivity with increasing losses and establishing the conditions for surpassing the standard quantum limit. This scheme can be directly applied to applications such as biological imaging and quantum information processing.
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Distributed quantum sensing (DQS) leverages quantum resources to estimate an unknown global property of a networked quantum sensor beyond the classical limit. We propose and analyze an all-optical resource-efficient scheme for the next-generation DQS systems. Our method utilizes phase-sensitive optical parametric amplifiers and linear interferometers and achieves the sensitivity close to the optimal limit, as determined by the quantum Fisher information of the entangled resource state. Furthermore, it utilizes high-gain OPA-assisted detection, offering critical advantages of increased bandwidth and loss tolerance, in contrast to conventional methods employing balanced homodyne detection (BHD). We show the efficacy of our proposal for displacement sensing and show its loss tolerance against high levels of photon loss, thus circumventing the major obstacle in current BHD-based approaches. Our architectural analysis shows that our scheme can be realized with current quantum photonic technology
Quantum metrology enables parameter estimation beyond classical limits by exploiting nonclassical resources such as squeezing and entanglement. In distributed quantum sensing, Heisenberg scaling has been extended from 1/N21/N^21/N2 to 1/(NM)21/(NM)^21/(NM)2 through entanglement across both particles and spatial modes, where NNN denotes the photon number and MMM the number of spatially distributed modes. However, the overall sensitivity has remained limited to linear scaling with the number of measurement repetitions RRR. Here, we show that exploiting entanglement across temporal modes via time-domain multiplexing enables a scaling advantage with respect to RRR. As a result, the sensitivity can asymptotically approach simultaneous Heisenberg scaling in photons, spatial modes, and repetitions, yielding an overall sensitivity approaching Δ2φ∝1/(NMR)2Δ^2 φ\propto 1/(NMR)^2Δ2φ∝1/(NMR)2. Using the Bogoliubov transformation formalism, we prove the optimality of the protocol within the class of Gaussian states and show that the scaling is realizable via homodyne detection and maximum-likelihood estimation. We further show that the advantage persists under optical loss and propose an experimentally feasible loop-based photonic sensing scheme. Our results open a route to incorporating time-multiplexing techniques into quantum metrology.