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arXiv:2607.06431

Unbiased Estimation of Conditional Covariance for Quantum Optomechanics

Katsuta Sakai, Nobuyuki Matsumoto

quant-phSubmitted Jul 7, 2026• Announced Jul 8, 2026• 0 citations
v1 · Jul 7, 2026v2 · Jul 21, 2026
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Abstract

Continuous measurements can prepare macroscopic mechanical oscillators in conditional quantum states, but their covariance is difficult to verify. The conventional retrodictive estimator assumes a forward--backward covariance symmetry and can be biased, because physical dynamics such as feedback damping reduces the observability of the state from future records. Here, we derive an exact linear-Gaussian estimator from causal, retrodictive, and smoothed trajectories. For a milligram-scale mirror, it agrees with a Riccati prediction based on parameters fixed independently, while the conventional estimate exhibits a large bias in the covariance-space metric, $d_M \sim 5$. Our method paves the way toward unbiased testing of macroscopic entanglement within a calibrated linear-Gaussian model, which will be applicable to tabletop mirrors as well as gravitational-wave kg-scale test masses.

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Continuous measurements can prepare macroscopic mechanical oscillators in conditional quantum states, but their covariance is difficult to verify. The conventional retrodictive estimator assumes a forward--backward covariance symmetry and can be biased, because physical dynamics such as feedback damping reduces the observability of the state from future records. Here, we derive an exact linear-Gaussian estimator from causal, retrodictive, and smoothed trajectories. For a milligram-scale mirror, it agrees with a Riccati prediction based on parameters fixed independently, while the conventional estimate exhibits a large bias in the covariance-space metric, dM∼5d_M \sim 5dM​∼5. Our method paves the way toward unbiased testing of macroscopic entanglement within a calibrated linear-Gaussian model, which will be applicable to tabletop mirrors as well as gravitational-wave kg-scale test masses.
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What knowledge can be obtained from the record of a continuous measurement about the quantum state of the measured system at the beginning of the measurement? The task of quantum state retrodiction, the inverse of the more common state prediction, is rigorously addressed in quantum measurement theory through retrodictive positive operator-valued measures (POVMs). This introduction to this general framework presents its practical formulation for retrodicting Gaussian quantum states using continuous-time homodyne measurements and applies it to optomechanical systems. We identify and characterize achievable retrodictive POVMs in common optomechanical operating modes with resonant or off-resonant driving fields and specific choices of local oscillator frequencies in homodyne detection. In particular, we demonstrate the possibility of a near-ideal measurement of the quadrature of the mechanical oscillator, giving direct access to the position or momentum distribution of the oscillator at a given time. This forms the basis for complete quantum state tomography, albeit in a destructive manner.
The existence of quantum correlations affects both microscopic and macroscopic systems. On macroscopic systems, they are difficult to observe and usually irrelevant for the system's evolution due to the frequent energy exchange with the environment. The world-wide network of gravitational-wave (GW) observatories exploits optical as well as mechanical systems that are highly macroscopic and largely decoupled from the environment. The quasi-monochromatic light fields in the kilometer-scale arm resonators have photon excitation numbers larger than 1019, and the mirrors that are quasi-free falling in propagation direction of the light fields have masses of around 40 kg. Recent observations on the GW observatories LIGO and Virgo clearly showed that the quantum uncertainty of one system affected the uncertainty of the other. Here, we review these observations and provide links to research goals targeted with mesoscopic optomechanical systems in other fields of fundamental physical research. These may have Gaussian quantum uncertainties as the ones in GW observatories or even non-Gaussian ones, such as Schrödinger cat states.
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We report the feasibility of detecting the gravity-induced entanglement (GIE) with optomechanical systems, which is the first investigation that clarifies the feasible experimental parameters to achieve a signal-to-noise ratio of S/N=1\mathrm{S}/\mathrm{N}=1S/N=1. Our proposal focuses on GIE generation between optomechanical mirrors, coupled via gravitational interactions, under continuous measurement, feedback control, and Kalman filtering process, which matured in connection with the field of gravitational wave observations. We solved the Riccati equation to evaluate the time evolution of the conditional covariance matrix for optomechanical mirrors that estimated the minimum variance of the motions. The results demonstrate that GIE is generated faster than a well-known time scale without optomechanical coupling. The fast generation of entanglement is associated with quantum-state squeezing by the Kalman filtering process, which is an advantage of using optomechanical systems to experimentally detect GIE.