Quantum enhanced estimation of optical detector efficiencies
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Quantum mechanics establishes the ultimate limit to the scaling of the precision on any parameter, by identifying optimal probe states and measurements. While this paradigm is, at least in principle, adequate for the metrology of quantum channels involving the estimation of phase and loss parameters, we show that estimating the loss parameters associated with a quantum channel and a realistic quantum detector are fundamentally different. While Fock states are provably optimal for the former, we identify a crossover in the nature of the optimal probe state for estimating detector imperfections as a function of the loss parameter using Fisher information as a benchmark. We provide theoretical results for on-off and homodyne detectors, the most widely used detectors in quantum photonics technologies, when using Fock states and coherent states as probes.
Date Issued
2016-12-05
Date Acceptance
2016-03-09
ISSN
2299-114X
Publisher
De Gruyter Open
Start Page
9
End Page
14
Journal / Book Title
Quantum Measurements and Quantum Metrology
Volume
3
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2016 Marco Barbieri et al., published by De Gruyter Open. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (E
Grant Number
EP/K034480/1
Subjects
quant-ph
physics.ins-det
Publication Status
Published
OA Location
https://doi.org/10.1515/qmetro-2016-0002