There has been much interest in improving gyroscope precision with quantum technology for realizing autonomous navigation. The laser light in coherent state cannot reach higher precision under shot-noise limit (SNL) caused by vacuum zero energy fluctuation, which restricts the further improvement of optical gyroscope precision. Quantum mechanics reckons that one unused port of the beam splitter (BS) is inputted with vacuum, which results in vacuum fluctuation, while another port is inputted with the laser light in optical gyroscope. In order to compress the vacuum fluctuation, we design an experimental scheme, in which squeezed vacuum light is used as another incident light into the unused port of Sagac interferometer in optical gyroscope. We analyze the physical process of this scheme theoretically and develop the quantum balanced homodyne detection technique to retrieve the relative phase information of Sagac interferometer output. There are two most important conditions that we should pay attention to. 1) We should ensure that the phase of local oscillator light arg(α L), the phase of coherent light arg (αc) and the angle of squeezed direction arg(μν) in the squeezed vacuum light satisfy the condition, i.e., arg (α L2)-arg (μν) = πup and arg (α L)-arg (αc) = 0 when we perform quantum balanced homodyne detection technique for the best sensitivity δφ = e-GδφSNL, where G denotes the squeezed degree; 2) only by deriving the fields from one common source can we ensure coherence among the squeezed vacuum, probe and local oscillator. Although the requirements for experimental settings are strict, we can meet the requirement with careful calibration. Numerical analysis shows that this proposed scheme provides much higher precision below SNL: both sensitivity detection limit and dynamic range grow with an exponential rate as the squeezed degree grows. The current technology for squeezed vacuum generation by using two consecutive crystals with the optic axes tilted allows us to reach a value as high as G ≈ 16 of squeezed degree. Only by inputting such squeezed vacuum light into the unused port of BS in the optical gyroscope, can we attain sensitivity detection limit and dynamic range with increment by 108. Our approach is a new scheme for improving optical gyroscope with current available technology.
There has been much interest in improving gyroscope precision with quantum technology for realizing autonomous navigation. The laser light in coherent state cannot reach higher precision under shot-noise limit (SNL) caused by vacuum zero energy fluctuation, which restricts the further improvement of optical gyroscope precision. Quantum mechanics reckons that one unused port of the beam splitter (BS) is inputted with vacuum, which results in vacuum fluctuation, while another port is inputted with the laser light in optical gyroscope. In order to compress the vacuum fluctuation, we design an experimental scheme, in which squeezed vacuum light is used as another incident light into the unused port of Sagac interferometer in optical gyroscope. We analyze the physical process of this scheme theoretically and develop the quantum balanced homodyne detection technique to retrieve the relative phase information of Sagac interferometer output. There are two most important conditions that we should pay attention to. 1) We should ensure that the phase of local oscillator light arg(α L), the phase of coherent light arg (αc) and the angle of squeezed direction arg(μν) in the squeezed vacuum light satisfy the condition, i.e., arg (α L2)-arg (μν) = πup and arg (α L)-arg (αc) = 0 when we perform quantum balanced homodyne detection technique for the best sensitivity δφ = e-GδφSNL, where G denotes the squeezed degree; 2) only by deriving the fields from one common source can we ensure coherence among the squeezed vacuum, probe and local oscillator. Although the requirements for experimental settings are strict, we can meet the requirement with careful calibration. Numerical analysis shows that this proposed scheme provides much higher precision below SNL: both sensitivity detection limit and dynamic range grow with an exponential rate as the squeezed degree grows. The current technology for squeezed vacuum generation by using two consecutive crystals with the optic axes tilted allows us to reach a value as high as G ≈ 16 of squeezed degree. Only by inputting such squeezed vacuum light into the unused port of BS in the optical gyroscope, can we attain sensitivity detection limit and dynamic range with increment by 108. Our approach is a new scheme for improving optical gyroscope with current available technology.
Sagnac effect enhancement can improve optical gyro precision. For a certain input intensity, we suggest that the other input port of beam splitter (BS) should be fed with some quantum light to break through shot noise limit (SNL) to improve Sagnac effect without increasing radiation-pressure noise (NRP). We design a Sagnac effect quantum enhancement criterion (SQEC) to judge whether some quantum light can enhance Sagnac effect and present a Sagnac effect enhancement scheme that utilizing Fock state light and parity measurement technique to extract the output phase. The results of the theoretical analysis show that the maximum sensitivity can be reached at θ = 0, and the phase precision can break through SNL and even achieve Heisenberg limit (HL). When the Fock state average photon number n is far less than coherent state, the minimum measurable angular rate is improved with 2 n + 1 times, which can deduce shot noise and increase NRP little.
The output phase of the Sagnac interferometer has been measured with quantum balanced homodyne technique when coherent light and squeezed vacuum light are fed into the Sagnac interferometer simultaneously [Chen Kun et al., Acta Phys. Sin. 65 054203(2016)]. Nevertheless, there exist two deficiencies: 1) the phase sensitivity is related to the phase itself; 2) there are strict requirements for the phases of local oscillator light, coherent light and squeezed vacuum light. For overcoming these deficiencies, an adaptive optimal measurement scheme is suggested for the phase estimation. Firstly, we calculate that the quantum Fisher information (QFI) of the squeezed vacuum and coherent state is sinh2r+||2e2r by treating them as a quantum pure state, for they satisfy a condition of the quantum pure state, namely ()=()2. The QFI is related to quantum Cramer-Rao lower bound which can be used to evaluate the performance of the estimator. Secondly, we make an analysis of positive operator-valued measure (POVM) and design a set of the optimal measurement operators for reaching the quantum Cramer-Rao lower bound, whereas the optimal measurement operators depend on the true value of the phase which is what we want to estimate. In order to solve the problem and estimate the parameter effectively, an adaptive method is suggested. We set an initial value of the phase parameter to obtain a set of measurement operators which are not optimal at the first step. And then the initial measurement operators are used for POVM and to obtain a conditional probability function, from which we can obtain a new value of the phase with maximum likelihood estimator. Therefore, the measurement operators and conditional probability function will be updated with the new value. As the measurement operators and conditional probability function are updated step by step, we can estimate the value adaptively. In fact, the results of the maximum likelihood estimator will converge at the true value of the phase parameter gradually, which is then proved with the theoretical analysis. All in all, an adaptive measurement method of estimating the phase parameter of the squeezed vacuum and coherent state in Sagnac interferometer is suggested, and is proved theoretically to be that the scheme will converge at the true value of the phase with a probability of 1 and can reach the quantum Cramer-Rao lower bound.
Direct detection of gravitational waves will require
earth based detectors to measure strains of the order 10-21, at
frequencies of 100 Hz, a sensitivity that has been accomplished
with the initial generation of LIGO interferometric gravitational
wave detectors. A new generation of detectors currently under
construction is designed improve on the sensitivity of the initial
detectors by about a factor of 10. The quantum nature of light will
limit the sensitivity of these Advanced LIGO interferometers at
most frequencies; new approaches to reducing the quantum noise will
be needed to improve the sensitivity further. This quantum noise
originates from the vacuum fluctuations that enter the unused port
of the interferometer and interfere with the laser light. Vacuum
fluctuations have the minimum noise allowed by Heisenberg's
uncertainty principle, [Delta]X1 [Delta]X2 >/=1, where the two
quadratures X1 and X2 are non-commuting observables responsible for
the two forms of quantum noise, shot noise and radiation pressure
noise. By replacing the vacuum fluctuations entering the
interferometer with squeezed states, which have lower noise in one
quadrature than the vacuum state, we have reduced the shot noise of
a LIGO interferometer. The sensitivity to gravitational waves
measured during this experiment represents the best sensitivity
achieved to date at frequencies above 200 Hz, and possibly the
first time that squeezing has been measured in an interferometer at
frequencies below 700 Hz. The possibility that injection of
squeezed states could introduce environmental noise couplings that
would degrade the crucial but fragile low frequency sensitivity of
a LIGO interferometer has been a major concern in planning to
implement squeezing as part of baseline interferometer operations.
These results demonstrate that squeezing is compatible with the low
frequency sensitivity of a full scale gravitational wave
interferometer. We also investigated the limits to the level of
squeezing observed, including optical losses and fluctuations of
the squeezing angle. The lessons learned should allow for
responsible planning to implement squeezing in Advanced LIGO,
either as an alternative to high power operation or an early
upgrade to improve the sensitivity. This thesis is available at
DSpace@MIT and has LIGO document number P1300006.
Quantum techniques, developed in recent decades, provide new approaches to achieving high-precision measurements beyond the classical bounds. In this paper, we theoretically demonstrate a metrology method for improving the sensitivity of the interferometric optical gyroscope, robust against the loss, by using coherent-light stimulated two-mode squeezed beams as the light source. The detection protocol is based on a simple intensity measurement, and the quantum noise is far below the shot-noise limit. The enhancement factors for different coherent light fields are analyzed in detail. Additionally, the influence of loss during the propagation in the optical path is studied, and the conditions for achieving sub-shot-noise measurement sensitivity are obtained. We also find that the phase sensitivity of the proposed gyroscope scheme becomes closer to the quantum Cramér-Rao bound with increasing of the photon number of the coherent beams.
According to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, the precision of any physical quantity measurement is limited by quantum fluctuation in general, which leads to the so-called standard quantum limit (SQL). The SQL can be beaten by using squeezed light, hence enhancing the measurement accuracy. Squeezed light is a typical nonclassical light, it exhibits reduced noise in one quadrature component. Since Caves proposed the scheme of phase measurement enhancement with squeezing, squeezed light has been used to enhance measurement precision in many areas. This review focuses on the following four kinds of precision measurements based on squeezed light: the measurements of relative phase, small lateral displacement and tilt, magnetic field, and clock synchronization. For all of these measurements, vacuum squeezing has been used to enhance measurement precision, while the types of squeezing (squeezing angle, transverse mode, polarization etc.) are different. For phase measurement, quadrature squeezing is injected into the conventionally unused input port of Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) or Michelson interferometer (MI). For displacement or tilt measurement, a vacuum squeezing beam of a special transverse mode is coupled into an intense coherent beam, yielding a spatial-squeezed light whose transverse position or tilt angle noise is lower than that of a classical light beam. Based on the Faraday effect of polarization rotation, the magnetic field can be detected precisely. The precision can be increased further by using the polarization squeezing. The polarization squeezing can be generated by coupling two orthogonal polarized beams together, a coherent beam and a vacuum squeezed beam. Various polarization squeezing can be illustrated on the Poincaré sphere. Finally, in the clock synchronization based on the optical frequency comb, squeezed light can be used to enhance the time measurement precision. A theoretical scheme with multimode squeezing of supermode (a kind of mode describing the frequency mode of a pulse laser beam) is introduced. The squeezing has extensively been applied into the quantum precision measurements such as gravitational wave detection as well as biological measurement and will play a more important role in the near future.
Direct detection of gravitational waves will require earth based detectors to measure strains of the order 10−21, at frequencies of 100 Hz, a sensitivity that has been accomplished with the initial generation of LIGO interferometric gravitational wave detectors. A new generation of detectors currently under construction is designed improve on the sensitivity of the initial detectors by about a factor of 10. The quantum nature of light will limit the sensitivity of these Advanced LIGO interferometers at most frequencies; new approaches to reducing the quantum noise will be needed to improve the sensitivity further. This quantum noise originates from the vacuum fluctuations that enter the unused port of the interferometer and interfere with the laser light. Vacuum fluctuations have the minimum noise allowed by Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, ∆X1∆X2 ≥ 1, where the two quadratures X1 and X2 are non-commuting observables responsible for the two forms of quantum noise, shot noise and radiation pressure noise. By replacing the vacuum fluctuations entering the interferometer with squeezed states, which have lower noise in one quadrature than the vacuum state, we have reduced the shot noise of a LIGO interferometer. The sensitivity to gravitational waves measured during this experiment represents the best sensitivity achieved to date at frequencies above 200 Hz, and possibly the first time that squeezing has been measured in an interferometer at frequencies below 700 Hz. The possibility that injection of squeezed states could introduce environmental noise couplings that would degrade the crucial but fragile low frequency sensitivity of a LIGO interferometer has been a major concern in planning to implement squeezing as part of baseline interferometer operations. These results demonstrate that squeezing is compatible with the low frequency sensitivity of a full scale gravitational wave interferometer. We also investigated the limits to the level of squeezing observed, including optical losses and fluctuations of the squeezing angle. The lessons learned should allow for responsible planning to implement squeezing in Advanced LIGO, either as an alternative to high power operation or an early upgrade to improve the sensitivity. This thesis is available at DSpace@MIT and has LIGO document number P1300006. Thesis Supervisor: Nergis Mavalvala Title: Professor of Physics