Optical enhanced interferometry with two-mode squeezed twin-Fock states and parity detection

We theoretically investigate the quantum enhanced metrology using two-mode squeezed twin-Fock states and parity detection. Our results indicate that, for a given initial squeezing parameter, compared with the two-mode squeezed vacuum state, both phase sensitivity and resolution can be enhanced when the two-mode squeezed twin-Fock state is considered as an input state of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. Within a constraint on the total photon number, although the two-mode squeezed vacuum state gives the better phase sensitivity when the phase shift φ to be estimated approaches to zero, the phase sensitivity offered by these non-Gaussian entangled Gaussian states is relatively stable with respect to the phase shift itself. When the phase shift slightly deviates from φ= 0, the phase sensitivity can be still enhanced by the two-mode squeezed twin-Fock state over a broad range of the total mean photon number where the phase uncertainty is still below the quantum standard noise limit. Finally, we numerically prove that the quantum Cramer–Rao bound can be approached with the parity detection.     

A comparative study of local quantum Fisher information and local quantum uncertainty in Heisenberg XY model

Recently, it has been shown that the quantum Fisher information via local observables and via local measurements (i.e., local quantum Fisher information (LQFI)) is a central concept in quantum estimation and quantum metrology and captures the quantumness of correlations in multi-component quantum system (Kim et al. (2018) [28]). This new discord-like measure is very similar to the quantum correlations measure called local quantum uncertainty (LQU). In the present study, we have revealed that LQU is bounded by LQFI in the phase estimation protocol. Also, a comparative study between these two quantum correlations quantifiers is addressed for the quantum Heisenberg XY model. Two distinct situations are considered. The first one concerns the anisotropic XY model and the second situation concerns isotropic XY model submitted to an external magnetic field. Our results confirm that LQFI reveals more quantum correlations than LQU.     

Super-resolution and super-sensitivity of entangled squeezed vacuum state using optimal detection strategy

Interference metrology is a method for achieving high precision detection by phase estimation. The phase sensitivity of a traditional interferometer is subject to the standard quantum limit, while its resolution is constrained by the Rayleigh diffraction limit. The resolution and sensitivity of phase measurement can be enhanced by using quantum metrology. We propose a quantum interference metrology scheme using the entangled squeezed vacuum state, which is obtained using the magic beam splitter, expressed as |ψ〉=(|ξ〉|0〉+|0〉|ξ〉)/(2+2/coshr)~(1/2), such as the N00 N state. We derive the phase sensitivity and the resolution of the system with Z detection, project detection, and parity detection. By simulation and analysis, we determine that parity detection is an optimal detection method, which can break through the Rayleigh diffraction limit and the standard quantum limit.     

Phase Sensitivity in Bose–Einstein Condensates

We investigate the phase sensitivity of a collection of interacting spins with quantum Fisher information controlled by an external field. By adopting the frozen-spin approximation, we derive the approximate analytical expressions of the maximal quantum Fisher information and the phase sensitivity. It is shown that the maximal quantum Fisher information and the phase sensitivity depend on the strength of the external field. With the increases of the external field, the period of oscillation of quantum Fisher information and phase estimation decrease, while the values of quantum Fisher information and phase sensitivity increase because of the suppress by the external field.     

从离散Wigner函数的角度探讨量子相干性度量

量子相干性是量子信息处理的基本要素,在量子计算中扮演着重要的角色.为了便于讨论量子相干性在量子计算中的作用,本文从离散Wigner函数角度对量子相干性进行了探讨.首先对奇素数维量子系统的离散Wigner函数进行了分析,分离出表征相干性的部分,提出了一种可能的基于离散Wigner函数的量子相干性度量方法,并对其进行了量子相干性度量规范的分析;同时也比较了该度量与l_1范数相干性度量之间的关系.重要的是,这种度量方法能够明确给出量子相干性程度与衡量量子态量子计算加速能力的负性和之间不等式关系,由此可以解析地解释量子相干性仅是量子计算加速的必要条件.     

Quantum information processing and metrology with color centers in diamonds

The Nitrogen Vacancy （NV） center is becoming a promising qubit for quantum information processing. The defect has a long coherence time at room temperature and it allows spin state initialized and read out by laser and manipulated by microwave pulses. It has been utilized as a ultra sensi- tive probe for magnetic fields and remote spins as well. Here, we review the recent progresses in experimental demonstrations based on NV centers. We first introduce our work on implementation of the Deutsch- Jozsa algorithm with a single electronic spin in diamond. Then the quantum nature of the bath around the center spin is revealed and continuous wave dynamical decoupling has been demonstrated. By applying dynamical decoupling, a multi-pass quantum metrology protocol is realized to enhance phase estimation. In the final, we demonstrated NV center can be regarded as a ultra-sensitive sensor spin to implement nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR） imaging at nanoscale.     

Quantum multiparameter estimation with multi-mode photon catalysis entangled squeezed state

We propose a method to generate the multi-mode entangled catalysis squeezed vacuum states (MECSVS) by embedding the cross-Kerr nonlinear medium into the Mach−Zehnder interferometer. This method realizes the exchange of quantum states between different modes based on Fredkin gate. In addition, we study the MECSVS as the probe state of multi-arm optical interferometer to realize multi-phase simultaneous estimation. The results show that the quantum Cramer−Rao bound (QCRB) of phase estimation can be improved by increasing the number of catalytic photons or decreasing the transmissivity of the optical beam splitter using for photon catalysis. In addition, we also show that even if there is photon loss, the QCRB of our photon catalysis scheme is lower than that of the ideal entangled squeezed vacuum states (ESVS), which shows that by performing the photon catalytic operation is more robust against photon loss than that without the catalytic operation. The results here can find applications in quantum metrology for multiparatmeter estimation.     

光与物质相互作用系统中的量子Fisher信息和自旋压缩

Fisher信息是估计理论中的重要概念,最近发现与量子信息中的纠缠判据具有密切联系.非旋波近似条件下,Dicke模型经典相空间表现为混沌动力学特征.本文详细考察了Dicke模型描述的光与物质相互作用系统中量子Fisher信息和自旋压缩动力学特性.结果表明:在短时瞬态情况下,无论初态处于规则区域还是混沌区域系统均表现为纠缠性质;但在长时稳态情况下,初态处于规则区域时系统纠缠消失,而初态处于混沌区域时系统则一直存在纠缠.通过与系统自旋压缩动力学性质相比较,发现量子Fisher信息可以更有效地刻画量子混沌.进一步考察初态处于规则和混沌区域时系统密度矩阵和纯度的动力学演化特性,发现混沌导致系统退相干现象发生,说明量子Fisher信息对混沌更敏感.     

Quantum Phase Properties of Photon Added and Subtracted Displaced Fock States

Quantum phase properties of photon added and subtracted displaced Fock states (and their limiting cases) are investigated from a number of perspectives, and it is shown that the quantum phase properties are dependent on the quantum state engineering operations performed. Specifically, the analytic expressions for quantum phase distributions and angular Q distribution as well as measures of quantum phase fluctuation and phase dispersion are obtained. The uniform phase distribution of the initial Fock states is observed to be transformed by the unitary operation (i.e., displacement operator) into non‐Gaussian shape, except for the initial vacuum state. It is observed that the phase distribution is symmetric with respect to the phase of the displacement parameter and becomes progressively narrower as its amplitude increases. The non‐unitary (photon addition/subtraction) operations make it even narrower in contrast to the Fock parameter, which leads to broadness. The photon subtraction is observed to be a more powerful quantum state engineering tool in comparison to the photon addition. Further, one of the quantum phase fluctuation parameters is found to reveal the existence of antibunching in both the engineered quantum states under consideration. Finally, the relevance of the engineered quantum states in the quantum phase estimation is also discussed.     

Phase Estimation and Compensation for Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution

Phase estimation and compensation is one of the enabling functionalities in continous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD). Recently, a novel CVQKD scheme has been independently proposed to combat the local oscillator (LO) side channel attacks. Furthermore, we have carried out a proof-of-principle experimental study on the feasibility of the CVQKD without sending a LO. However, this scheme contains a serious weakness: The phase noise caused by the two different lasers between the sender and the receiver would severely destroy the quantum signal and finally reduce the secure distance. In this paper, we investigate the optical phase noise and explore the optimal approach to estimate and compensate such kind of noise with appropriate data overhead. Numerical simulations show that our scheme can successfully reconstruct the phase drifts even at low signal-to-noise ratio conditions. We also suggest that a higher accuracy of phase estimation could be achieved by using the frequency division multiplexing scheme. This opens an opportunity to employ advanced pilot-aided phase estimation techniques in quantum communication system.

     

双数态输入型M-Z干涉仪中量子相位的最大似然估计和贝叶斯分析

本文采用最大似然估计和贝叶斯分析两种方法,对双数态输入型马赫-曾德尔干涉仪中的量子相位估计进行研究.通过对干涉仪输出端粒子数差和宇称进行理论计算和数值模拟,发现采用贝叶斯分析和粒子数差测量的组合,可以在全相位空间实现最优测量,即待估相位精度达到由量子克拉美罗下界所给定的测量极限,同时,利用贝叶斯分析进行相位估计所需样本数较最大似然估计更少.在通过宇称测量进行相位估计的研究中,发现无法利用贝叶斯分析实现相位估计,但可采用最大似然估计进行研究.借助蒙特卡洛数值模拟分析,我们验证了理论计算结果,即相位估计精度会随待估相位θ₀的变化而改变,将其与粒子数差测量结果对比,进一步确认了粒子数差测量方案的优越性.     

Quantum metrology with coherent superposition of two different coded channels

We investigate the advantage of coherent superposition of two different coded channels in quantum metrology. In a continuous variable system, we show that the Heisenberg limit 1/N can be beaten by the coherent superposition without the help of indefinite causal order. And in parameter estimation, we demonstrate that the strategy with the coherent superposition can perform better than the strategy with quantum SWITCH which can generate indefinite causal order. We analytically obtain the general form of estimation precision in terms of the quantum Fisher information and further prove that the nonlinear Hamiltonian can improve the estimation precision and make the measurement uncertainty scale as 1/Nm for m ≥ 2. Our results can help to construct a high-precision measurement equipment, which can be applied to the detection of coupling strength and the test of time dilation and the modification of the canonical commutation relation.     

Quantum Network Coding on Networks with Arbitrarily Distributed Hidden Channels

Although perfect quantum network coding has been proved to be achievable,it is still puzzling whether it is feasible whenever one or more of the channels are replaced by the hidden ones emerging from quantum entanglement.The question is answered in this paper.First,we propose a quantum network coding protocol over a butterfly network with two hidden channels.Second,we investigate a more general situation,where d-level quantum letters are transmitted through the network containing arbitrarily distributed hidden channels,and prove that quantum network coding on such networks is still achievable.     

Heisenberg Limit Phase Sensitivity in the Presence of Decoherence Channels

In the present study, time evolution of quantum Cramer–Rao bound of entangled N00N state, as phase sensitivity, is determined by the aid of quantum estimation theory in the presence decoherence channels. Also, the dynamic quantum process as decoherence approach is characterized by quantum fisher information flow and entanglement amount in order to distinguish between Markovian and Non-Markovian process. The comparison between quantum fisher information and quantum fisher information flow assists to comprehend the phase sensitivity evolution corresponding to Non-Markovian and Markovian process. Furthermore, as result of backflow of information from the environment to system, the phase sensitivity corresponding memory effect of environment are revived after complete decay and increase in the few times.     

The parity operator in quantum optical metrology

Photon number states are assigned a parity of +1 if their photon number is even and a parity of ?1 if odd. The parity operator, which is minus one to the power of the photon number operator, is a Hermitian operator and thus a quantum mechanical observable although it has no classical analogue, the concept being meaningless in the context of classical light waves. In this paper we review work on the application of the parity operator to the problem of quantum metrology for the detection of small phase shifts with quantum optical interferometry using highly entangled field states such as the so-called N00N states, and states obtained by injecting twin Fock states into a beam splitter. With such states and with the performance of parity measurements on one of the output beams of the interferometer, one can breach the standard quantum limit, or shot-noise limit, of sensitivity down to the Heisenberg limit, the greatest degree of phase sensitivity allowed by quantum mechanics for linear phase shifts. Heisenberg limit sensitivities are expected to eventually play an important role in attempts to detect gravitational waves in interferometric detection systems such as LIGO and VIRGO.     

Quantum Network Coding on Networks with Arbitrarily Distributed Hidden Channels

Although perfect quantum network coding has been proved to be achievable, it is still puzzling whether it is feasible whenever one or more of the channels are replaced by the hidden ones emerging from quantum entanglement. The question is answered in this paper. First, we propose a quantum network coding protocol over a butterfly network with two hidden channels. Second, we investigate a more general situation, where d-level quantum letters are transmitted through the network containing arbitrarily distributed hidden channels, and prove that quantum network coding on such networks is still achievable.     

量子相空间纠缠轨线力学

量子相空间理论已用来研究物理学、化学等有关问题, 并为人们研究经典物理和量子物理的对应关系提供了一种有力工具. 在量子相空间中, 基于Wigner表象下的量子刘维尔方程, 建立分子纠缠轨线力学. 与经典分子力学方法不同, 分子纠缠轨线力学中的轨线不再是独立的, 而是“纠缠”在一起的, 这正是体系量子效应的体现. 这种半经典 的理论方法能给出体系的量子效应及具有启示意义的物理图像. 分子纠缠轨线力学被用来研究量子隧穿效应、分子光解反应动力学、自关联函数等. 本文综述了分子纠缠轨线力学最近的发展. 关键词： 纠缠轨线 量子相空间 半经典理论     

Security analysis on some experimental quantum key distribution systems with imperfect optical and electrical devices

In general, quantum key distribution （QKD） has been proved unconditionally secure for perfect devices due to quantum uncertainty principle, quantum noneloning theorem and quantum nondividing principle which means that a quantum cannot be divided further. However, the practical optical and electrical devices used in the system are imperfect, which can be exploited by the eavesdropper to partially or totally spy the secret key between the legitimate parties. In this article, we first briefly review the recent work on quantum hacking on some experimental QKD systems with respect to imperfect devices carried out internationally, then we will present our recent hacking works in details, including passive faraday mirror attack, partially random phase attack, wavelength-selected photon-number-splitting attack, frequency shift attack, and single-photon-detector attack. Those quantum attack reminds people to improve the security existed in practical QKD systems due to imperfect devices by simply adding countermeasure or adopting a totally different protocol such as measurement-device independent protocol to avoid quantum hacking on the imperfection of measurement devices [Lo, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 2012, 108： 130503].     

Background Dynamics of Pre-inflationary Scenario in Brans-Dicke Loop Quantum Cosmology

Recently the background independent nonperturbative quantization has been extended to various theories of gravity and the corresponding quantum effective cosmology has been derived, which provides us with necessary avenue to explore the pre-inflationary dynamics. Brans-Dicke (BD) loop quantum cosmology (LQC) is one of such theories whose effective background dynamics is considered in this article. Starting with a quantum bounce, we explore the pre-inflationary dynamics of a universe sourced by a scalar field with the Starobinsky potential in BD-LQC. Our study is based on the idea that though Einstein's and Jordan's frames are classically equivalent up to a conformal transformation in BD theory, this is no longer true after quantization. Taking the Jordan frame as the physical one we explore in detail the bouncing scenario which is followed by a phase of a slow roll inflation. The three phases of the evolution of the universe, namely, bouncing, transition from quantum bounce to classical universe, and the slow roll inflation, are noted for an initially kinetic energy dominated bounce. In addition, to be consistent with observations, we also identify the allowed phase space of initial conditions that would produce at least 60 e-folds of expansion during the slow roll inflation.