Discrete-to-continuous transition in quantum phase estimation

We analyze the problem of quantum phase estimation where the set of allowed phases forms a discrete $N$ element subset of the whole $[0,2\pi]$ interval, $\varphi_n = 2\pi n/N$, $n=0,\dots N-1$ and study the discrete-to-continuous transition $N\rightarrow\infty$ for various cost functions as well as the mutual information. We also analyze the relation between the problems of phase discrimination and estimation by considering a step cost functions of a given width $\sigma$ around the true estimated value. We show that in general a direct application of the theory of covariant measurements for a discrete subgroup of the $U(1)$ group leads to suboptimal strategies due to an implicit requirement of estimating only the phases that appear in the prior distribution. We develop the theory of sub-covariant measurements to remedy this situation and demonstrate truly optimal estimation strategies when performing transition from a discrete to the continuous phase estimation regime.Comment: v2: Discussion of mutual information and general Bayesian cost function added, revised structure; v3: Minor issues fixe

Adaptive quantum metrology under general Markovian noise

We consider a general model of unitary parameter estimation in presence of Markovian noise, where the parameter to be estimated is associated with the Hamiltonian part of the dynamics. In absence of noise, unitary parameter can be estimated with precision scaling as $1/T$, where $T$ is the total probing time. We provide a simple algebraic condition involving solely the operators appearing in the quantum Master equation, implying at most $1/\sqrt{T}$ scaling of precision under the most general adaptive quantum estimation strategies. We also discuss the requirements a quantum error-correction like protocol must satisfy in order to regain the $1/T$ precision scaling in case the above mentioned algebraic condition is not satisfied. Furthermore, we apply the developed methods to understand fundamental precision limits in atomic interferometry with many-body effects taken into account, shedding new light on the performance of non-linear metrological models.Comment: 13 pages, see also arXiv:1706.0244

The Quantum Cocktail Party

We consider the problem of decorrelating states of coupled quantum systems. The decorrelation can be seen as separation of quantum signals, in analogy to the classical problem of signal-separation rising in the so-called cocktail-party context. The separation of signals cannot be achieved perfectly, and we analyse the optimal decorrelation map in terms of added noise in the local separated states. Analytical results can be obtained both in the case of two-level quantum systems and for Gaussian states of harmonic oscillators.Comment: 4 pages, 2figures, revtex

Quantum-enhanced gyroscopy with rotating anisotropic Bose–Einstein condensates

High-precision gyroscopes are a key component of inertial navigation systems. By considering matter wave gyroscopes that make use of entanglement it should be possible to gain some advantages in terms of sensitivity, size, and resources used over unentangled optical systems. In this paper we consider the details of such a quantum-enhanced atom interferometry scheme based on atoms trapped in a carefully-chosen rotating trap. We consider all the steps: entanglement generation, phase imprinting, and read-out of the signal and show that quantum enhancement should be possible in principle. While the improvement in performance over equivalent unentangled schemes is small, our feasibility study opens the door to further developments and improvements

Entanglement production in Quantized Chaotic Systems

Quantum chaos is a subject whose major goal is to identify and to investigate different quantum signatures of classical chaos. Here we study entanglement production in coupled chaotic systems as a possible quantum indicator of classical chaos. We use coupled kicked tops as a model for our extensive numerical studies. We find that, in general, presence of chaos in the system produces more entanglement. However, coupling strength between two subsystems is also very important parameter for the entanglement production. Here we show how chaos can lead to large entanglement which is universal and describable by random matrix theory (RMT). We also explain entanglement production in coupled strongly chaotic systems by deriving a formula based on RMT. This formula is valid for arbitrary coupling strengths, as well as for sufficiently long time. Here we investigate also the effect of chaos on the entanglement production for the mixed initial state. We find that many properties of the mixed state entanglement production are qualitatively similar to the pure state entanglement production. We however still lack an analytical understanding of the mixed state entanglement production in chaotic systems.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures. To appear in Pramana:Journal of Physic

Advances in quantum metrology

The statistical error in any estimation can be reduced by repeating the measurement and averaging the results. The central limit theorem implies that the reduction is proportional to the square root of the number of repetitions. Quantum metrology is the use of quantum techniques such as entanglement to yield higher statistical precision than purely classical approaches. In this Review, we analyse some of the most promising recent developments of this research field and point out some of the new experiments. We then look at one of the major new trends of the field: analyses of the effects of noise and experimental imperfections

The elusive Heisenberg limit in quantum enhanced metrology

We provide efficient and intuitive tools for deriving bounds on achievable precision in quantum enhanced metrology based on the geometry of quantum channels and semi-definite programming. We show that when decoherence is taken into account, the maximal possible quantum enhancement amounts generically to a constant factor rather than quadratic improvement. We apply these tools to derive bounds for models of decoherence relevant for metrological applications including: dephasing,depolarization, spontaneous emission and photon loss.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, presentation imporved, implementation of the semi-definite program finding the precision bounds adde