Quantum systems can be used to measure various quantities in their environment with high precision. However, their sensitivity is limited by the decohering effects of this same environment. Quantum error correction has recently emerged as a tool to separate these two external contributions, and thus filter noise from signal in quantum sensors. However, this strategy has been commonly thought to be useful only for reducing noise which couples to a sensor differently than the signal, greatly limiting its practical utility. Here we show that this is not the case, and present a method through which an error-corrected quantum sensor can measure a signal while also suppressing background noise in the same direction. Our result opens the possibility of correcting for noise in all directions on a quantum sensor without also correcting away the signal.
Quantum systems can be used to measure various quantities in their environment with high precision. However, their sensitivity is limited by the decohering effects of this same environment. Quantum error correction has recently emerged as a tool to separate these two external contributions, and thus filter noise from signal in quantum sensors. However, this strategy has been commonly thought to be useful only for reducing noise which couples to a sensor differently than the signal, greatly limiting its practical utility. Here we show that this is not the case, and present a method through which an error-corrected quantum sensor can measure a signal while also suppressing background noise in the same direction. Our result opens the possibility of correcting for noise in all directions on a quantum sensor without also correcting away the signal.
Quantum systems can be used to measure various quantities in their environment with high precision. Often, however, their sensitivity is limited by the decohering effects of this same environment. Dynamical decoupling schemes are widely used to filter environmental noise from signals, but their performance is limited by the spectral properties of the signal and noise at hand. Quantum error correction schemes have therefore emerged as a complementary technique without the same limitations. To date, however, they have failed to correct the dominant noise type in many quantum sensors, which couples to each qubit in a sensor in the same way as the signal. Here we show how quantum error correction can correct for such noise, which dynamical decoupling can only partially address. Whereas dynamical decoupling exploits temporal noise correlations in signal and noise, our scheme exploits spatial correlations. We give explicit examples in small quantum devices and demonstrate a method by which error-correcting codes can be tailored to their noise.
Abstract Quantum systems can be used to measure various quantities in their environment with high precision. Often, however, their sensitivity is limited by the decohering effects of this same environment. Dynamical decoupling schemes are widely used to filter environmental noise from signals, but their performance is limited by the spectral properties of the signal and noise at hand. Quantum error correction schemes have therefore emerged as a complementary technique without the same limitations. To date, however, they have failed to correct the dominant noise type in many quantum sensors, which couples to each qubit in a sensor in the same way as the signal. Here we show how quantum error correction can correct for such noise, which dynamical decoupling can only partially address. Whereas dynamical decoupling exploits temporal noise correlations in signal and noise, our scheme exploits spatial correlations. We give explicit examples in small quantum devices and demonstrate a method by which error-correcting codes can be tailored to their noise.
Quantum error correction has recently emerged as a tool to enhance quantum sensing under Markovian noise. It works by correcting errors in a sensor while letting a signal imprint on the logical state. This approach typically requires a specialized error-correcting code, as most existing codes correct away both the dominant errors and the signal. To date, however, few such specialized codes are known, among which most require noiseless, controllable ancillas. We show here that such ancillas are not needed when the signal Hamiltonian and the error operators commute, a common limiting type of decoherence in quantum sensors. We give a semidefinite program for finding optimal ancilla-free sensing codes in general, as well as closed-form codes for two common sensing scenarios: qubits undergoing dephasing, and a lossy bosonic mode. Finally, we analyze the sensitivity enhancement offered by the qubit code under arbitrary spatial noise correlations, beyond the ideal limit of orthogonal signal and noise operators.
The sensitivity afforded by quantum sensors is limited by decoherence. Quantum error correction (QEC) can enhance sensitivity by suppressing decoherence, but it has a side effect: it biases a sensor's output in realistic settings. If unaccounted for, this bias can systematically reduce a sensor's performance in experiment, and also give misleading values for the minimum detectable signal in theory. We analyze this effect in the experimentally motivated setting of continuous-time QEC, showing both how one can remedy it, and how incorrect results can arise when one does not.
Quantum sensors represent a revolutionary technology with the potential to surpass the limits of classical sensors across a wide range of applications, including precision measurement, navigation, and medical diagnostics. However, the realization of this potential is significantly hindered by the pervasive presence of noise. This work addresses the critical need for accurate noise modeling and effective suppression techniques within quantum sensors. We introduce a novel noise model that incorporates both thermal and coherent noise sources, explicitly accounting for the quantum mechanical nature of these sensors. This model is then utilized to design and analyze various noise suppression strategies, including feedback control algorithms and advanced filtering methods. The theoretical framework presented here provides a foundation for improved sensor design and operation, ultimately driving advancements in quantum sensing technology. The core claim of this work is that precise noise modeling and effective suppression techniques are paramount for enhancing the precision of quantum sensors. This is achieved through the establishment of a new noise model and the subsequent design of suppression techniques such as feedback control and filtering. The novelty lies in the detailed and accurate representation of noise sources within the quantum sensor system.
Quantum metrology has many important applications in science and technology, ranging from frequency spectroscopy to gravitational wave detection. Quantum mechanics imposes a fundamental limit on measurement precision, called the Heisenberg limit, which can be achieved for noiseless quantum systems, but is not achievable in general for systems subject to noise. Here we study how measurement precision can be enhanced through quantum error correction, a general method for protecting a quantum system from the damaging effects of noise. We find a necessary and sufficient condition for achieving the Heisenberg limit using quantum probes subject to Markovian noise, assuming that noiseless ancilla systems are available, and that fast, accurate quantum processing can be performed. When the sufficient condition is satisfied, the quantum error-correcting code achieving the best possible precision can be found by solving a semidefinite program. We also show that noiseless ancilla are not needed when the signal Hamiltonian and the error operators commute. Finally we provide two explicit, archetypal examples of quantum sensors: qubits undergoing dephasing and a lossy bosonic mode.