Multi-state discrimination below the quantum noise limit at the single-photon level

2017/10/09 by Andrew R. Ferdinand, A. R. Ferdinand, M. T. DiMario +1 · 2 citations
Computer Science · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Computer science #Electronic engineering #Engineering #Open quantum system #Photon #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum channel #Quantum entanglement #Quantum imaging #Quantum information #Quantum information science #Quantum limit #Quantum mechanics #Quantum metrology #Quantum network #Quantum noise #Quantum optics #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #Quantum sensor #Quantum state #Quantum technology #Robustness (evolution) #quant-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41534-017-0042-2

published as npj Quantum Information 3, 43 (2017) · Published in npj Quantum Information (7 pages, 4 figures)

openalex publication_date 2017/10/09 · arxiv created 2017/10/31 · arxiv updated 2017/11/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06

Abstract

Abstract Measurements approaching the ultimate quantum limits of sensitivity are central in quantum information processing, quantum metrology, and communication. Quantum measurements to discriminate multiple states at the single-photon level are essential for optimizing information transfer in low-power optical communications and quantum communications, and can enhance the capabilities of many quantum information protocols. Here, we theoretically investigate and experimentally demonstrate the discrimination of multiple coherent states of light with sensitivities surpassing the quantum noise limit (QNL) at the single-photon level under realistic conditions of loss and noise based on strategies implementing globally-optimized adaptive measurements with single photon counting and displacement operations. These discrimination strategies can provide realistic advantages to enhance information transfer at low powers, and are compatible with photon number resolving detection, which provides robustness at high powers, thus allowing for surpassing the QNL at arbitrary input power levels under realistic conditions.

Citations

• SymmetricM-ary phase discrimination using quantum-optical probe states
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Cited by

• Phase tracking for sub-shot-noise-limited receivers
• Quantum Receiver for Phase-Shift Keying at the Single-Photon Level