Optimal Quantum Phase Estimation

Journal Article · Fri Jan 30 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.102.040403· OSTI ID:21180152

Dorner, U; Smith, B J; Lundeen, J S; Walmsley, I A ^[1]; Demkowicz-Dobrzanski, R; Banaszek, K ^[2]; Wasilewski, W ^[3]

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1. Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom)
2. Institute of Physics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, PL-87-100 Torun (Poland)
3. Institute of Experimental Physics, University of Warsaw, Hoza 69, PL-00-681 Warsaw (Poland)

By using a systematic optimization approach, we determine quantum states of light with definite photon number leading to the best possible precision in optical two-mode interferometry. Our treatment takes into account the experimentally relevant situation of photon losses. Our results thus reveal the benchmark for precision in optical interferometry. Although this boundary is generally worse than the Heisenberg limit, we show that the obtained precision beats the standard quantum limit, thus leading to a significant improvement compared to classical interferometers. We furthermore discuss alternative states and strategies to the optimized states which are easier to generate at the cost of only slightly lower precision.

• OSTI ID: 21180152
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 102, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.040403; (c) 2009 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCURACY
BENCHMARKS
COST
INTERFEROMETERS
INTERFEROMETRY
OPTIMIZATION
PHOTONS