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arXiv:quant-ph/0312194 · Journal of Optics B Quantum and Semiclassical Optics

Schrödinger cats and their power for quantum information processing

Alexei Gilchrist, Kae Nemoto, William J. Munro, Timothy C. Ralph, S Glancy, Samuel L Braunstein, Gerard J Milburn

Published Jul 27, 2004• 199 citations
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Abstract

We outline a toolbox comprised of passive optical elements, single photon detection and superpositions of coherent states (Schrödinger cat states). Such a toolbox is a powerful collection of primitives for quantum information processing tasks. We illustrate its use by outlining a proposal for universal quantum computation. We utilize this toolbox for quantum metrology applications, for instance weak force measurements and precise phase estimation. We show in both these cases that a sensitivity at the Heisenberg limit is achievable.

DOI
10.1088/1464-4266/6/8/032

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We discuss several methods to produce superpositions of optical coherent states (also known as “cat states”). Cat states have remarkable properties that could allow them to be powerful tools for quantum information processing and metrology. A number of proposals for how one can produce cat states have appeared in the literature in recent years. We describe these proposals and present a new simulation and analysis of them incorporating practical issues such as photon loss, detector inefficiency, and limited strength of nonlinear interactions. We also examine how each would perform in a realistic experiment.
Quantum Schrodinger cat states are of great interest in quantum communications and quantum optics. These states are used in various scientific fields such as quantum computing, quantum error correction and high-precision measurements. The analysis of the Schrodinger cat states coherence is an important task for their complete practical application. Our developed approach makes it possible to estimate the coherence of the quantum Schrodinger cat state of arbitrary dimension, as well as to find the interference visibility of the state: an important optical characteristic. The obtained simple quantitative relationship between coherence and the Schmidt number, as well as the developed approach of reducing the multidimensional quantum cat state to a two-mode analog allow us to analyze macroscopic states formed by a large number of modes. Several explicit formulas for the reduced states that arise after measuring of some modes of the considered multimode system are obtained. The research results have significant application and can be used in the development of high-dimensional quantum information processing systems.
Quantum Schrodinger cat states are of great interest in quantum communications and quantum optics. These states are used in various scientific fields such as quantum computing, quantum error correction and high-precision measurements. The analysis of the Schrodinger cat states coherence is an important task for their complete practical application. Our developed approach makes it possible to estimate the coherence of the quantum Schrodinger cat state of arbitrary dimension, as well as to find the interference visibility of the state - an important optical characteristic. The obtained simple quantitative relationship between coherence and the Schmidt number, as well as the developed approach of reducing the multidimensional quantum cat state to a two-mode analog allow us to analyze macroscopic states formed by a large number of modes. Several explicit formulas for the reduced states that arise after measuring of some modes of the considered multimode system are obtained. The research results have significant application and can be used in the development of high-dimensional quantum information processing systems.
Recent development in quantum information sciences and technologies, especially building programmable quantum computers, provide us new opportunities to study fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics. We propose qubit models to emulate the quantum measurement process, in which the quantum information of a qubit is mapped to a collection of qubits acting as the measurement device. One model is motivated by single-photon detection and the other by spin measurement. Both models are scalable to generate Schrödinger cat-like state, and their corresponding quantum circuits are shown explicitly. Large-scale simulations could be realised in near-term quantum computers, while classical computers cannot perform the same task efficiently. Due to the scalability of the models, such simulations can help explore the quantum-to-classical boundary, if exists, in the quantum measurement problem. Besides, our protocol to generate cat states may have important applications in quantum computing and metrology.