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Results for “Quantum parameter estimation”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Current-based metrology with two-terminal mesoscopic conductors

The traditional approach to quantum parameter estimation focuses on the quantum state, deriving fundamental bounds on precision through the quantum Fisher information. In most experimental settings, however, performing arbitrary quantum measurements is highly unfeasible. In open quantum systems, an alternative approach to metrology involves the measurement of stochastic currents flowing from the system to its environment. However, the present understanding of current-based metrology is mostly limited to Markovian master equations. Considering a parameter estimation problem in a two-terminal mesoscopic conductor, we identify the key elements that determine estimation precision within the Landauer-Büttiker formalism. Crucially, this approach allows us to address arbitrary coupling and temperature regimes. Furthermore, we obtain analytical results for the precision in linear-response and zero-temperature regimes. For the specific parameter estimation task that we consider, we demonstrate that the boxcar transmission function is optimal for current-based metrology in all parameter regimes.

Landauer formula↗
DOE OSTI2026

Correlated Noise Estimation with Quantum Sensor Networks

We address the metrological problem of estimating collective stochastic properties imprinted on a network of quantum sensors. Canonical examples include center-of-mass quadrature fluctuations in a system of bosonic modes and correlated dephasing in an ensemble of qubits (e.g., spins), bosons, or fermions. We develop a theoretical framework to determine the limits of correlated (weak) noise estimation with quantum sensor networks and reveal the requirements for entanglement advantage. Notably, an advantage emerges from the synergistic interplay between quantum correlations of the sensors and “classical” correlations of the noises. Here, we determine optimal entangled probe states and identify a sensing protocol—reminiscent of a many-body echo—that achieves the fundamental limits of measurement sensitivity for a broad class of problems, unveiling a route toward entanglement-enhanced metrology of correlated many-body phenomena.

Quantum metrology↗
DOE OSTI2025

Universal time scalings of sensitivity in Markovian quantum metrology

Assuming Markovian time evolution of a quantum sensing system, we study the general characterization of the optimal sensitivity scalings with time, under most general quantum control protocols. We allow the estimated parameter to influence both the Hamiltonian as well as the dissipative part of the quantum master equation and focus on the asymptotic-time along with the short-time sensitivity scalings. We find that via simple algebraic conditions (in terms of the Hamiltonian, the jump operators as well as their parameter derivatives), one can characterize the four classes of metrological models that represent: quadratic-linear, quadratic-quadratic, linear-linear, and linear-quadratic time scalings. We also investigate the relevant time scales on which the transition between the two regimes appears. Additionally, we provide universal numerical methods to obtain quantitative bounds on sensitivity that are the tightest that exist in the literature. Simplicity and universality of our results make it suitable for diverse applications in quantum metrology.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Interplay Between Time and Energy in Bosonic Noisy Quantum Metrology

Quantum entanglement and coherence often allow for protocols that outperform classical ones in estimating a system’s parameter. When using infinite-dimensional probes (such as a bosonic mode), one could, in principle, obtain infinite precision in a finite time for both classical and quantum protocols, which makes it hard to quantify potential quantum advantage. However, such a situation is unphysical, as it would require infinite resources, so one needs to impose some additional constraint: typically the average energy employed by the probe is finite. Here we treat both energy and time as a resource, showing that, in the presence of noise, there is a nontrivial interplay between the average energy and the time devoted to the estimation. Our results are valid for the most general metrological schemes (e.g., adaptive schemes, which may involve entanglement with external ancillae or any kind of continuous measurement). We apply recently derived precision bounds for all parameters characterizing the paradigmatic case of a bosonic mode, subject to Lindbladian noise. We show how the time employed in the estimation should be partitioned in order to achieve the best possible precision. In most cases, the optimal performance may be obtained without the necessity of adaptivity or entanglement with ancilla. We compare results with classical strategies. Interestingly, for temperature estimation, applying a fast-prepare-and-measure protocol with Fock states provides better scaling with the number of photons than any classical strategy.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mutual information bounded by Fisher information

We derive a general upper bound to mutual information in terms of the Fisher information. The bound may be further used to derive a lower bound for the Bayesian quadratic cost. These two provide alternatives to other inequalities in the literature (e.g., the van Trees inequality) that are useful also for cases where the latter ones give trivial bounds. We then generalize them to the quantum case, where they bound the Holevo information in terms of the quantum Fisher information. We illustrate the usefulness of our bounds with a case study in quantum phase estimation. Here, they allow us to adapt to mutual information (useful for global strategies where the prior plays an important role), the known and highly nontrivial bounds for the Fisher information in the presence of noise. The results are also useful in the context of quantum communication, both for continuous and discrete alphabets. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quantum-enhanced distributed phase sensing with a truncated SU(1,1) interferometer

In recent years, distributed quantum sensing has gained interest for a range of applications requiring networks of sensors, from global-scale clock synchronization to high energy physics. In particular, a network of entangled sensors can improve not only the sensitivity beyond the shot noise limit, but also enable a Heisenberg scaling with the number of sensors. Here, using bright entangled twin beams, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate the detection of a linear combination of two distributed phases beyond the shot noise limit with a truncated SU(1,1) interferometer. Specifically, we show a quantum noise reduction of 1.7 ± 0.3 dB below what is possible with the corresponding classical configuration. Additionally, we theoretically extend the use of a truncated SU(1,1) interferometer to a multi-phase-distributed sensing scheme that leverages entanglement as a resource to achieve a quantum improvement in the scaling with the number of sensors in the network. Our results pave the way for developing quantum-enhanced sensor networks that can achieve an entanglement-enhanced sensitivity.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Noise Constraints on Sensitivity Scaling in Quantum Nonlinear Metrology

Quantum-enhanced metrology surpasses classical metrology by improving estimation precision scaling with a resource 𝑁 (e.g., particle number or energy) from 1/√𝑁 to 1/𝑁. Through the use of nonlinear effects, Roy and Braunstein [Exponentially enhanced quantum metrology, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 220501 (2008)] derived a 1/𝑁 2 scaling. However, later works argued this exponential improvement is unphysical and that even modest gains, like 1/𝑁 2 , may vanish under noise. We show that, in the presence of small errors, the nonlinear interactions enabling metrological enhancement induce emergent errors. Here, the errors propagate through the sensing protocol and are magnified proportional to any intended nonlinear enhancement. We identify a critical value of the parameter to be estimated, for a fixed error, below which the emergent errors can be avoided.

Quantum Fisher information↗
DOE OSTI2025

Generalized Cycle Benchmarking Algorithm for Characterizing Midcircuit Measurements

Midcircuit measurements (MCMs) are crucial ingredients in the development of fault-tolerant quantum computation. While there have been rapid experimental progresses in realizing MCMs, a systematic method for characterizing noisy MCMs is still under exploration. In this work, we develop a cycle benchmarking (CB)-type algorithm to characterize noisy MCMs. The key idea is to use a joint Fourier transform on the classical and quantum registers and then estimate parameters in the Fourier space, analogous to Pauli fidelities used in CB-type algorithms for characterizing the Pauli-noise channel of Clifford gates. Furthermore, we develop a theory of the noise learnability of MCMs, which determines what information can be learned about the noise model (in the presence of state preparation and terminating measurement noise) and what cannot, which shows that all learnable information can be learned using our algorithm. As an application, we show how to use the learned information to test the independence between measurement noise and state-preparation noise in an MCM. Finally, we conduct numerical simulations to illustrate the practical applicability of the algorithm. Similar to other CB-type algorithms, we expect the algorithm to provide a useful toolkit that is of experimental interest. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Zhang, Zhihan (ORCID:0009000862907691)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Non-Gaussian Generalized Two-Mode Squeezing: Applications to Two-Ensemble Spin Squeezing and Beyond

Bosonic two-mode squeezed states are paradigmatic entangled Gaussian states that have wide utility in quantum information and metrology. Here, in this study, we show that the basic structure of these states can be generalized to arbitrary bipartite quantum systems in a manner that allows simultaneous, Heisenberg-limited estimation of two independent parameters for finite-dimensional systems. Further, we show that these general states can always be stabilized by a relatively simple Markovian dissipative process. In the specific case where the two subsystems are ensembles of two-level atoms or spins, our generalized states define a notion of two-mode spin squeezing that is valid beyond the Gaussian limit and that enables true multiparameter estimation. We discuss how generalized Ramsey measurements allow one to reach the two-parameter quantum Cramér-Rao bound, and how the dissipative preparation scheme is compatible with current experiments.

Mamaev, Mikhail [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United Stat↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantum error mitigation by layerwise Richardson extrapolation

A widely used method for mitigating errors in noisy quantum computers is Richardson extrapolation, a technique in which the overall effect of noise on the estimation of quantum expectation values is captured by a single parameter that, after being scaled to larger values, is eventually extrapolated to the zero-noise limit. We generalize this approach by introducing layerwise Richardson extrapolation (LRE), an error mitigation protocol in which the noise of different individual layers (or larger chunks of the circuit) is amplified and the associated expectation values are linearly combined to estimate the zero-noise limit. The coefficients of the linear combination are analytically obtained from the theory of multivariate Lagrange interpolation. LRE leverages the flexible configurational space of layerwise unitary folding, allowing for a more nuanced mitigation of errors by treating the noise level of each layer of the quantum circuit as an independent variable. Furthermore, we provide numerical simulations demonstrating scenarios where LRE achieves superior performance compared to traditional (single-variable) Richardson extrapolation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

Entanglement Requirements for Coherent Enhancement in Detectors

Coherent enhancement is a powerful mechanism for improving the sensitivity of a wide range of detectors, but its practical use is often limited by the difficulty of preparing the required quantum states. We show that this difficulty has a fundamental origin: coherent enhancement of a signal interacting with a detector is quantitatively constrained by entanglement. We prove general bounds on how the strength of coherent effects can scale with system size, as a function of the single-mode entanglement entropy of the detector. These bounds smoothly interpolate between the incoherent and fully coherent regimes, and apply both to parameter-estimation problems and to scattering processes. We discuss these results from two complementary perspectives: First, they appear as bounds on the quantum Fisher information of many-body states, which translate directly into limits on parameter sensitivity via the quantum Cramér-Rao bound. Second, they can be interpreted as limits on a class of scattering cross sections, leading to predictions for how minimum detectable interaction strengths scale with target size. Together, these results provide a unified view of coherent enhancement in metrology and scattering experiments, and motivate the development of new techniques for generating entangled detector states.

Bogorad, Zachary [Fermilab] (ORCID:000000019913647↗
DOE OSTI2025

Resolving the Coverage Dependence of Surface Reaction Kinetics with Machine Learning and Automated Quantum Chemistry Workflows

Microkinetic models for catalytic systems require estimation of many thermodynamic and kinetic parameters that can be calculated for isolated species and transition states using ab initio methods. However, the presence of nearby coadsorbates on the surface can dramatically alter these thermodynamic and kinetic parameters causing them to be dependent on species coverage fractions. As there are combinatorially many coadsorbed configurations on the surface, computing the coverage dependence of these parameters is far less straightforward. We present a framework for generating and applying machine learning models to predict coverage-dependent parameters for microkinetic models. Our toolkit enables automatic calculation and evaluation of coadsorbed configurations allowing us to sample 2,000 coadsorbed adsorbates and transition states (TSs) for a diverse set of 9 reactions on Cu(111), a challenging surface, with four possible coadsorbates. This dataset was then used to train subgraph isomorphic decision trees (SIDTs) to predict the stability and association energy of configurations. We were able to achieve mean absolute errors (MAEs) of 0.106 eV on adsorbates, 0.172 eV on TSs, and due to natural error cancellation in SIDTs for relative properties, 0.130 eV on reaction energies and 0.180 eV on activation barriers. In conclusion, we describe how to use these models to predict coverage-dependent corrections for adsorbates and TSs and demonstrate on H*, HO*, and O* comparing the generated SIDT model with an iteratively refined version.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Game Strategies for Entanglement Paths in Quantum Network Infrastructure

Entanglement distribution is a core function of quantum networks, and the paths used for this purpose are composed of quantum and conventional network components and are routed through physical facility sites. A game theoretic model is formulated for the defense of entanglement paths in a quantum network infrastructure by modeling the correlations and probabilities of reinforcement and failure of its components. A sum-form utility function is used to capture the cost-benefit trade-offs in reinforcing the entanglement path components to defend against their failures and attacks. Under Nash Equilibrium criteria, estimates of survival probabilities of entanglement paths are derived using the parameters and correlations of quantum, conventional, hybrid, and facility components. They provide insights into the dependencies of entanglement paths on its components, including cross-boundary effects of conventional, quantum, and facility components.

Rao, Nageswara [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000234085941)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Probing electromagnetic nonreciprocity with quantum geometry of photonic states

Reciprocal and nonreciprocal effects in dielectric and magnetic materials provide crucial information about the microscopic properties of electrons. However, experimentally distinguishing the two has proven to be challenging, especially when the associated effects are extremely small. To this end, we propose a contactless detection using a cross-cavity device where a material of interest is placed at its center. We show that the optical properties of the material, such as Kerr and Faraday rotation, or birefringence, manifest in the coupling between the cavity's electromagnetic modes and in the shift of their resonant frequencies. By calculating the dynamics of a geometrical photonic state, we formulate a measurement protocol based on the quantum metric and quantum process tomography that isolates the individual components of the material's complex refractive index and minimizes the quantum mechanical Cramér-Rao bound on the variance of the associated parameter estimation. Our approach is expected to be applicable across a broad spectrum of experimental platforms including Fock states in optical cavities, or coherent states in microwave and THz resonators. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Petrides, Ioannis (ORCID:0000000174842444)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Automatic Generation of Chemical Mechanisms for Electrochemical Systems: Solid Electrolyte Interphase Formation in Lithium Batteries

Electrolytes in many lithium ion batteries decompose at the low potentials near the anode. The decomposition products form a layer termed the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). The composition and growth of the SEI layer significantly affect both the capacity fade and safety of lithium ion batteries. However, SEI formation and growth kinetics are not well understood. In this work, we present an extension of the Reaction Mechanism Generator (RMG) software to automatically generate mechanisms for SEI formation. We extend RMG’s solvation correction framework to account for kinetic solvent effects and demonstrate the accuracy of our technique. We calculate thermochemical parameters for 252 species and rate coefficients for 69 reactions, most with associated solvation corrections. This and additional quantum chemistry data are used to extend RMG’s thermodynamic group additivity and solute parameter estimation schemes to handle lithiated species and add 14 new reaction families to RMG. RMG is additionally extended to simulate electrocatalytic systems. Lastly, we demonstrate RMG on the decomposition of acetonitrile and ethylene carbonate near a battery anode. Furthermore, while this framework does not yet resolve individual ions, as appropriate thermochemistry estimators are not available, and thus, cannot yet resolve more complex electrochemical pathways, RMG is able to generate reasonable pathways for SEI formation that match literature pathways and products. In particular, RMG identifies a new important reaction pathway that is not present in literature.

Chemical reactions↗
DOE OSTI2025

Conformal duality of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation: Theory and applications to parameter estimation

The nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) in one spatial dimension has stationary solutions similar to those of the linear Schrödinger equation (LSE) as well as more exotic solutions such as solitary waves and quantum droplets. Here, we present a newly discovered conformal duality which unifies the stationary and time-dependent traveling-wave solutions of the one-dimensional cubic-quintic NLSE, the cubic NLSE and LSE. Any two systems that are classified by the same single number called the cross ratio are related by this symmetry. Notably, the conformal duality can also be adapted in Newtonian mechanics and serves as a powerful tool for investigating physical systems that otherwise cannot be directly accessed in experiments. Further, we show that the conformal symmetry is a valuable resource to substantially improve NLSE parameter estimation from noisy empirical data by introducing an optimization afterburner. The new method therefore has far reaching practical applications for nonlinear physical systems. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Reinhardt, David B. (ORCID:0009000409812838)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Enhancing quantum clocks and sensors with randomization and decoherence

This letter shows how incoherent dynamics can lead to metrological advantages in quantum sensing. The results rely on the fact that incoherent dynamics lead to an additive contribution to the quantum Fisher information about time. Such an additive contribution can reduce the error of optimal estimation protocols, as implied by the quantum Cramér–Rao bound. I characterize regimes in which the estimation of a time interval or a frequency is enhanced by decoherence, thereby identifying cases in which incoherent dynamics serve as a metrological resource. The decoherence processes that yield enhanced precision of quantum sensors can be engineered by randomized Hamiltonian dynamics. I illustrate the results with protocols that display improved sensing of time intervals or global fields by qubit and photonic sensors. Enhanced precision of time intervals is achieved with Hamiltonians that include randomized global parameters. Enhanced precision in field estimation is obtained by randomized sensing times.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

Compact representation and long-time extrapolation of real-time data for quantum systems using the ESPRIT algorithm

Representing real-time data as a sum of complex exponentials provides a compact form that enables both denoising and extrapolation. As a fully data-driven method, the Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Techniques (ESPRIT) algorithm is agnostic to the underlying physical equations, making it broadly applicable to various observables and experimental or numerical setups. In this work, we consider applications of the ESPRIT algorithm primarily to extend real-time dynamical data from simulations of quantum systems. We evaluate ESPRIT's performance in the presence of noise and compare it to other extrapolation methods. We demonstrate its ability to extract information from short-time dynamics to reliably predict long-time behavior and determine the minimum time interval required for accurate results. We discuss how this insight can be leveraged in numerical methods that propagate quantum systems in time, and we show how ESPRIT can predict infinite-time values of dynamical observables, offering a purely data-driven approach to characterizing quantum phases.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗