Abstract Quantum enhanced multiple phase estimation is essential for various applications in quantum sensors and imaging. For multiple phase estimation, the sensitivity enhancement is dependent on both quantum probe states and measurement. It is known that multi‐mode states can outperform other probe states for estimating multiple phases. However, it is generally not feasible in practice to implement an optimal measurement to achieve the quantum Cramer–Rao bound (QCRB) under a practical measurement scheme using a multi‐mode beam splitter in interferometric phase estimation. Here, a strategy to achieve the best practical sensitivity by optimizing both mode‐amplitudes of multi‐mode states and a split ratio of a multi‐mode beam splitter is investigated. Then, it is experimentally demonstrated that the best sensitivity is achieved when an amplitude‐balanced multi‐mode state and a multi‐mode beam splitter with an unbalanced ratio are used in three‐mode interferometric phase estimation. The results show that the lower QCRB cannot guarantee better sensitivity under a practical measurement scheme, thus it is more desirable to enhance the practical sensitivity rather than the QCRB. It is believed that this strategy can provide a powerful tool for practical applications in multiple phase estimation.
Practical Sensitivity Bound for Multiple Phase Estimation with Multi‐Mode N00NN00N States
Abstract Quantum enhanced multiple phase estimation is essential for various applications in quantum sensors and imaging. For multiple phase estimation, the sensitivity enhancement is dependent on both quantum probe states and measurement. It is known that multi‐mode states can outperform other probe states for estimating multiple phases. However, it is generally not feasible in practice to implement an optimal measurement to achieve the quantum Cramer–Rao bound (QCRB) under a practical measurement scheme using a multi‐mode beam splitter in interferometric phase estimation. Here, a strategy to achieve the best practical sensitivity by optimizing both mode‐amplitudes of multi‐mode states and a split ratio of a multi‐mode beam splitter is investigated. Then, it is experimentally demonstrated that the best sensitivity is achieved when an amplitude‐balanced multi‐mode state and a multi‐mode beam splitter with an unbalanced ratio are used in three‐mode interferometric phase estimation. The results show that the lower QCRB cannot guarantee better sensitivity under a practical measurement scheme, thus it is more desirable to enhance the practical sensitivity rather than the QCRB. It is believed that this strategy can provide a powerful tool for practical applications in multiple phase estimation.
Quantum multiple parameter estimation can achieve an enhanced sensitivity beyond the classical limit. Although a theoretical ultimate sensitivity bound for multiple phase estimation is given by the quantum Cramer-Rao bound (QCRB), experimental implementations to saturate the QCRB typically require an impractical setup including entangled measurements. Since it is experimentally challenging to implement an entangled measurement, the practical sensitivity is given by the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) relevant to the measurement probabilities. Here, we consider the problem of practical sensitivity bound for multiple phase estimation with quantum probe states and a measurement setup without entanglement, which consists of a beam splitter followed by the photon-number-resolving measurement. In this practical measurement scheme, we show that lower CRB can be achieved with a quantum probe state even with higher QCRB.
Quantum metrology can achieve enhanced sensitivity for estimating unknown parameters beyond the standard quantum limit. Recently, multiple-phase estimation exploiting quantum resources has attracted intensive interest for its applications in quantum imaging and sensor networks. For multiple-phase estimation, the amount of enhanced sensitivity is dependent on quantum probe states, and multi-mode N00N states are known to be a key resource for this. However, its experimental demonstration has been missing so far since generating such states is highly challenging. Here, we report generation of multi-mode N00N states and experimental demonstration of quantum enhanced multiple-phase estimation using the multi-mode N00N states. In particular, we show that the quantum Cramer-Rao bound can be saturated using our two-photon four-mode N00N state and measurement scheme using a 4 × 4 multi-mode beam splitter. Our multiple-phase estimation strategy provides a faithful platform to investigate multiple parameter estimation scenarios.
The minimum possible uncertainty when estimating a parameter, in this case transmission, is bounded by the quantum Cramér-Rao bound (QCRB). This bound is independent of the measurement technique and as result can be used to quantify how close a measurement is to the optimal one for a given system and probing state, as an optimal measurement saturates the QCRB. The ability to perform transmission measurements through an optical system at the QCRB can lead to enhancements in the calibration of optimal states for interferometers, the characterization of high efficiency photodetectors, or the sensitivity of sensing devices based on transmission, such as plasmonic sensors or spectroscopy. We show theoretically that the ultimate sensitivity limit per photon in the estimation of transmission, achievable with Fock states or vacuum two-mode squeezed states (vTMSS), can be approached through the use of bright quantum states of light, such as bright single-mode squeezed states (bSMSS) or bright two-mode squeezed states (bTMSS). The use of bright quantum states has the advantage that they can be generated with a significantly larger number of photons, which leads to an absolute sensitivity that can be many orders of magnitude larger than the one achieved with Fock states or vTMSS. We identify a measurement strategy that saturates the QCRB for these bright quantum states and shown experimentally that transmission estimation at the QCRB can be achieved with bTMSS through optimized intensity difference measurements.
Abstract Quantum states of light can enable sensing configurations with sensitivities beyond the shot-noise limit. In order to better take advantage of available quantum resources and obtain the maximum possible sensitivity, it is necessary to determine fundamental sensitivity limits for different possible configurations for a given sensing system. Here, due to their wide applicability, we focus on optical resonance sensors, which detect a change in a parameter of interest through a resonance shift. We compare their fundamental sensitivity limits set by the quantum Cramér–Rao bound (QCRB) based on the estimation of changes in transmission or phase of a probing bright two-mode squeezed state (bTMSS) of light. We show that the fundamental sensitivity results from an interplay between the QCRB and the transfer function of the system. As a result, for a resonance sensor with a Lorentzian lineshape a phase-based scheme outperforms a transmission-based one for most of the parameter space; however, this is not the case for lineshapes with steeper slopes, such as higher order Butterworth lineshapes. Furthermore, such an interplay results in conditions under which the phase-based scheme provides a higher sensitivity but a smaller degree of quantum enhancement than the transmission-based scheme. We also study the effect of losses external to the sensor on the degree of quantum enhancement and show that for certain conditions, probing with a classical state can provide a higher sensitivity than probing with a bTMSS. Finally, we discuss detection schemes, namely optimized intensity-difference and optimized homodyne detection, that can achieve the fundamental sensitivity limits even in the presence of external losses.
ABSTRACT We enhance phase sensitivity in an SU(1,1) interferometer by combining a Kerr nonlinear phase shifter with multi‐photon addition. Using coherent and vacuum states as inputs, we analyze phase sensitivity and the quantum Fisher information under ideal and lossy conditions. We show that both phase sensitivity and the quantum Cramér‐Rao bound (QCRB) improve gradually as the total mean photon number increases. For the standard SU(1,1) interferometer, phase sensitivity does not saturate the QCRB, even with multi‐photon addition. In contrast, for the Kerr‐based SU(1,1) interferometer, phase sensitivity nearly saturates the QCRB under ideal conditions and remains optimal at high transmissivity under loss. The Kerr‐based scheme surpasses the standard quantum limit, approaches the sub‐Heisenberg limit, and exhibits enhanced robustness against moderate losses. Our scheme is feasible with current technology and provides a promising route for high‐precision quantum metrology.
This paper explores multiparameter quantum metrology using Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ)-type photon-added coherent states (PACS) and investigates both independent and simultaneous parameter estimation with linear and nonlinear protocols, highlighting the significant potential of quantum resources to enhance precision in multiparameter scenarios. To provide a comprehensive analysis, we explicitly derive analytical expressions for the quantum Cramér–Rao bound (QCRB) for each protocol. Additionally, we compare the two estimation strategies, examining the behavior of their QCRBs and offering insights into the advantages and limitations of these quantum states in various contexts. Our results show that simultaneous estimation generally outperforms independent estimation, particularly in nonlinear protocols. Furthermore, we analyze how the QCRB varies with the coherent state amplitude [Formula: see text], the number of estimated parameters d, and the photon excitation order n across three protocols. The results indicate that increasing [Formula: see text] and decreasing d improves estimation precision. For low n, the variation in the QCRB is similar for both symmetric and antisymmetric cases; however, at higher n, the antisymmetric case exhibits slightly better precision. The dependence on d is comparable for both types of states. We also compare PACS-based GHZ states with NOON states and entangled coherent states, demonstrating the relative performance of each. Finally, we conclude with an analysis of homodyne detection in the context of a linear protocol, discussing its impact on estimation accuracy.