arXiv subjects

Jianming Cai

Publications and source records attributed to Jianming Cai.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Real-time adaptive sensing of nuclear spins by a single-spin quantum sensor

Quantum sensing is considered to be one of the most promising subfields of quantum information to deliver practical quantum advantages in real-world applications. However, its impressive capabilities, including high sensitivity, are often hindered by the limited quantum resources available. Here, we incorporate the expected information gain (EIG) and techniques such as accelerated computation into Bayesian experimental design (BED) in order to use quantum resources more efficiently. A simulated nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond is used to demonstrate real-time operation of the BED. Instead of heuristics, the EIG is used to choose optimal control parameters in real-time. Moreover, combining the BED with accelerated computation and asynchronous operations, we find that up to a tenfold speed-up in absolute time cost can be achieved in sensing multiple surrounding C13 nuclear spins. Our work explores the possibilities of applying the EIG to BED-based quantum-sensing tasks and provides techniques useful to integrate BED into more generalized quantum sensing systems.

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arXiv2023

Bayesian-based hybrid method for rapid optimization of NV center sensors

NV center is one of the most promising platforms in the field of quantum sensing. Magnetometry based on NV center, especially, has achieved a concrete development in regions of biomedicine and medical diagnostics. Improving the sensitivity of NV center sensor under wide inhomogeneous broadening and filed amplitude drift is one crucial issue of continuous concern, which relies on the coherent control of NV center with higher average fidelity. Quantum optimal control (QOC) methods provide access to this target, nevertheless the high time consumption of current methods due to the large number of needful sample points as well as the complexity of the parameter space has hindered their usability. In this paper we propose the Bayesian estimation phase-modulated (B-PM) method to tackle this problem. In the case of state transforming of NV center ensemble, the B-PM method reduces the time consumption by more than $90\%$ compared to the conventional standard Fourier base (SFB) method while increasing the average fidelity from $0.894$ to $0.905$. In AC magnetometry scenery, the optimized control pulse given by B-PM method achieves a eight-fold extension of the coherence time $T_2$ compared to rectangular $π$ pulse. Similar application can be made in other sensing situations. As a general algorithm, the B-PM method can be further extended to open- and closed-loop optimization of complex systems based on a variety of quantum platforms.

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arXiv2022

Experimental demonstration of topological bounds in quantum metrology

Quantum metrology is deeply connected to quantum geometry, through the fundamental notion of quantum Fisher information. Inspired by advances in topological matter, it was recently suggested that the Berry curvature and Chern numbers of band structures can dictate strict lower bounds on metrological properties, hence establishing a strong connection between topology and quantum metrology. In this work, we provide a first experimental verification of such topological bounds, by performing optimal quantum multi-parameter estimation and achieving the best possible measurement precision. By emulating the band structure of a Chern insulator, we experimentally determine the metrological potential across a topological phase transition, and demonstrate strong enhancement in the topologically non-trivial regime. Our work opens the door to metrological applications empowered by topology, with potential implications for quantum many-body systems.

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arXiv2022

Notes on Thermodynamic Principle for Quantum Metrology

Recently, we find a physical limit on energy consumption of quantum metrology, and demonstrate that it essentially arises from the erasure of quantum Fisher information (QFI) which determines the best achievable measurement precision. Here, we provide more details in order to further elaborate the essence of this principle.

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arXiv2022

Simulating superluminal propagation of Dirac particles using trapped ions

Simulating quantum phenomena in extreme spacetimes in the laboratory represents a powerful approach to explore fundamental physics in the interplay of quantum field theory and general relativity. Here we propose to simulate the movement of a Dirac particle propagating with a superluminal velocity caused by the emergent Alcubierre warp drive spacetime using trapped ions. We demonstrate that the platform allows observing the tilted lightcone that manifests as a superluminal velocity, which is in agreement with the prediction of general relativity. Furthermore, the Zitterbewegung effect arising from relativistic quantum mechanics persists with the superluminal propagation and is experimentally measurable. The present scheme can be extended to simulate the Dirac equation in other exotic curved spacetimes, thus provides a versatile tool to gain insights into the fundamental limit of these extreme spacetimes.

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arXiv2022

Optimal quantum optical control of spin in diamond

The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center spin represents an appealing candidate for quantum information processing. Besides the widely used microwave control, its coherent manipulation may also be achieved using laser as mediated by the excited energy levels. Nevertheless, the multiple levels of the excited state of NV center spin make the coherent transition process become complex and may affect the fidelity of coherent manipulation. Here, we adopt the strategy of optimal quantum control to accelerate coherent state transfer in the ground state manifold of NV center spin using laser. The results demonstrate improved performance in both the speed and the fidelity of coherent state transfer which will be useful for optical control of NV center spin in diamond.

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arXiv2022

Dynamical decoupling for realization of topological frequency conversion

The features of topological physics can manifest in a variety of physical systems in distinct ways. Periodically driven systems, with the advantage of high flexibility and controllability, provide a versatile platform to simulate many topological phenomena and may lead to novel phenomena that can not be observed in the absence of driving. Here we investigate the influence of realistic experimental noise on the realization of a two-level system under a two-frequency drive that induces topologically nontrivial band structure in the two-dimensional Floquet space. We propose a dynamical decoupling scheme that sustains the topological phase transition overcoming the influence of dephasing. Therefore, the proposal would facilitate the observation of topological frequency conversion in the solid state spin system, e.g. NV center in diamond.

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arXiv2022

Quantum Fisher information measurement and verification of the quantum Cramér-Rao bound in a solid-state qubit

The quantum Cramér-Rao bound sets a fundamental limit on the accuracy of unbiased parameter estimation in quantum systems, relating the uncertainty in determining a parameter to the inverse of the quantum Fisher information. We experimentally demonstrate near saturation of the quantum Cramér-Rao bound in the phase estimation of a solid-state spin system, provided by a nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond. This is achieved by comparing the experimental uncertainty in phase estimation with an independent measurement of the related quantum Fisher information. The latter is independently extracted from coherent dynamical responses of the system under weak parametric modulations, without performing any quantum-state tomography. While optimal parameter estimation has already been observed for quantum devices involving a limited number of degrees of freedom, our method offers a versatile and powerful experimental tool to explore the Cramér-Rao bound and the quantum Fisher information in systems of higher complexity, as relevant for quantum technologies.

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arXiv2022

Thermodynamic principle for quantum metrology

The heat dissipation in quantum metrology represents not only an unavoidable problem towards practical applications of quantum sensing devices but also a fundamental relationship between thermodynamics and quantum metrology. However, a general thermodynamic principle which governs the rule of energy consumption in quantum metrology, similar to Landauer's principle for heat dissipation in computations, has remained elusive. Here, we establish such a physical principle for energy consumption in order to achieve a certain level of measurement precision in quantum metrology, and show that it is intrinsically determined by the erasure of quantum Fisher information. The principle provides a powerful tool to investigate the advantage of quantum resources, not only in measurement precision but also in energy efficiency. It also serves as a bridge between thermodynamics and various fundamental physical concepts related in quantum physics and quantum information theory.

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arXiv2021

Strong angular momentum optomechanical coupling for macroscopic quantum control

Optomechanical systems offer unique opportunities to explore macroscopic quantum state and related fundamental problems in quantum mechanics. Here, we propose a quantum optomechanical system involving exchange interaction between spin angular momentum of light and a torsional oscillator. We demonstrate that this system allows coherent control of the torsional quantum state of a torsional oscillator on the single photon level, which facilitates efficient cooling and squeezing of the torsional oscillator. Furthermore, the torsional oscillator with a macroscopic length scale can be prepared in Schrödinger cat-like state. Our work provides a platform to verify the validity of quantum mechanics in macroscopic systems on the micrometer and even centimeter scale.

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arXiv2021

Pulsed characteristic-function measurement of a thermalizing harmonic oscillator

We present a method for the direct measurement of the Wigner characteristic function of a thermalizing harmonic oscillator that is completely inaccessible for control or measurement. The strategy employs a recently proposed probe-measurement-based scheme [Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 110406 (2019)] which relies on the pulsed control of a two-level probe. We generalize this scheme to the case of a nonunitary time evolution of the target harmonic oscillator, describing its thermalization through contact to a finite-temperature environment, given in the form of a Lindblad master equation. This generalization is achieved using a superoperator formalism and yields analytical expressions for the direct measurement of the characteristic function, accounting for the decoherence during the measurement process.

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arXiv2021

Experimental estimation of the quantum Fisher information from randomized measurements

The quantum Fisher information (QFI) represents a fundamental concept in quantum physics. On the one hand, it quantifies the metrological potential of quantum states in quantum-parameter-estimation measurements. On the other hand, it is intrinsically related to the quantum geometry and multipartite entanglement of many-body systems. Here, we explore how the QFI can be estimated via randomized measurements, an approach which has the advantage of being applicable to both pure and mixed quantum states. In the latter case, our method gives access to the sub-quantum Fisher information, which sets a lower bound on the QFI. We experimentally validate this approach using two platforms: a nitrogen-vacancy center spin in diamond and a 4-qubit state provided by a superconducting quantum computer. We further perform a numerical study on a many-body spin system to illustrate the advantage of our randomized-measurement approach in estimating multipartite entanglement, as compared to quantum state tomography. Our results highlight the general applicability of our method to general quantum platforms, including solid-state spin systems, superconducting quantum computers and trapped ions, hence providing a versatile tool to explore the essential role of the QFI in quantum physics.

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arXiv2021

Precise Spectroscopy of High-Frequency Oscillating Fields with a Single-Qubit Sensor

Precise spectroscopy of oscillating fields plays significant roles in many fields. Here, we propose an experimentally feasible scheme to measure the frequency of a fast-oscillating field using a single-qubit sensor. By invoking a stable classical clock, the signal phase correlations between successive measurements enable us to extract the target frequency with extremely high precision. In addition, we integrate dynamical decoupling technique into the framework to suppress the influence of slow environmental noise. Our framework is feasible with a variety of atomic and single solid-state-spin systems within the state-of-the-art experimental capabilities as a versatile tool for quantum spectroscopy.

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arXiv2021

Dynamic framework for criticality-enhanced quantum sensing

Quantum criticality, as a fascinating quantum phenomenon, may provide significant advantages for quantum sensing. Here we propose a dynamic framework for quantum sensing with a family of Hamiltonians that undergo quantum phase transitions (QPT). By giving the formalism of the quantum Fisher information (QFI) for quantum sensing based on critical quantum dynamics, we demonstrate its divergent feature when approaching the critical point. We illustrate the basic principle and the details of experimental implementation using quantum Rabi model. The framework is applicable to a variety of examples and does not rely on the stringent requirement for particular state preparation or adiabatic evolution. It is expected to provide a route towards the implementation of criticality-enhanced quantum sensing.

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arXiv2020

Quantum optimal control using phase-modulated driving fields

Quantum optimal control represents a powerful technique to enhance the performance of quantum experiments by engineering the controllable parameters of the Hamiltonian. However, the computational overhead for the necessary optimization of these control parameters drastically increases as their number grows. We devise a novel variant of a gradient-free optimal-control method by introducing the idea of phase-modulated driving fields, which allows us to find optimal control fields efficiently. We numerically evaluate its performance and demonstrate the advantages over standard Fourier-basis methods in controlling an ensemble of two-level systems showing an inhomogeneous broadening. The control fields optimized with the phase-modulated method provide an increased robustness against such ensemble inhomogeneities as well as control-field fluctuations and environmental noise, with one order of magnitude less of average search time. Robustness enhancement of single quantum gates is also achieved by the phase-modulated method. Under environmental noise, an XY-8 sequence constituted by optimized gates prolongs the coherence time by $50\%$ compared with standard rectangular pulses in our numerical simulations, showing the application potential of our phase-modulated method in improving the precision of signal detection in the field of quantum sensing.

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arXiv2020

Nanotube Double Quantum Dot Spin Transducer for Scalable Quantum Information Processing

One of the key challenges for the implementation of scalable quantum information processing is the design of scalable architectures that support coherent interaction and entanglement generation between distant quantum systems. We propose a nanotube double quantum dot spin transducer that allows to achieve steady-state entanglement between nitrogen-vacancy center spins in diamond with spatial separations over micrometers. The distant spin entanglement further enables us to design a scalable architecture for solid-state quantum information processing based on a hybrid platform consisting of nitrogen-vacancy centers and carbon-nanotube double quantum dots.

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arXiv2020

Complete Quantum-State Tomography with a Local Random Field

Single-qubit measurements are typically insufficient for inferring arbitrary quantum states of a multi-qubit system. We show that if the system can be fully controlled by driving a single qubit, then utilizing a local random pulse is almost always sufficient for complete quantum-state tomography. Experimental demonstrations of this principle are presented using a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond coupled to a nuclear spin, which is not directly accessible. We report the reconstruction of a highly entangled state between the electron and nuclear spin with fidelity above 95%, by randomly driving and measuring the NV-center electron spin only. Beyond quantum-state tomography, we outline how this principle can be leveraged to characterize and control quantum processes in cases where the system model is not known.

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arXiv2019

Experimental measurement of the quantum geometric tensor using coupled qubits in diamond

Geometry and topology are fundamental concepts, which underlie a wide range of fascinating physical phenomena such as topological states of matter and topological defects. In quantum mechanics, the geometry of quantum states is fully captured by the quantum geometric tensor. Using a qubit formed by an NV center in diamond, we perform the first experimental measurement of the complete quantum geometric tensor. Our approach builds on a strong connection between coherent Rabi oscillations upon parametric modulations and the quantum geometry of the underlying states. We then apply our method to a system of two interacting qubits, by exploiting the coupling between the NV center spin and a neighboring $^{13}$C nuclear spin. Our results establish coherent dynamical responses as a versatile probe for quantum geometry, and they pave the way for the detection of novel topological phenomena in solid state.

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