arXiv subjects

Zhao-Yi Zhou

Publications and source records attributed to Zhao-Yi Zhou.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Unified and computable approach to optimal strategies for multiparameter estimation

Precise estimation of physical parameters underpins both scientific discovery and technological development. A central goal of quantum metrology and sensing is to exploit quantum resources like entanglement to devise optimal strategies for estimating physical parameters as precisely as possible. While substantial progress has been made in single-parameter quantum metrology, the multiparameter scenario remains significantly more challenging due to the issue of parameter incompatibility. In this work, we present a unified and computable approach for the simultaneous estimation of multiple parameters that attains the ultimate precision permitted by quantum mechanics. The core of our approach is to integrate the quantum tester formalism into the recently proposed tight Cramér-Rao type bound. This formulation enables us to figure out the highest achievable precision via upper and lower bounds that are computable via semidefinite programs. More importantly, within this formulation, diverse quantum resources, including entanglement, coherence, quantum control, and indefinite causal order, are treated on equal footing and systematically optimized for the purpose of achieving the ultimate precision in multiparameter estimation. As a result, our approach is applicable to various metrological strategies both in the presence and absence of noise. To demonstrate its utility, we revisit three-dimensional magnetic-field estimation, uncovering the strengths and limitations of existing analytical results and further establishing a strict hierarchy among different types of strategies.

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arXiv2025

Retrieving maximum information of symmetric states from their corrupted copies

Using quantum measurements to extract information from states is a matter of routine in quantum science and technologies. A recent work [Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 040202 (2024)] reported the finding that the symmetric structures of a state can be harnessed to dramatically reduce the sample complexity in extracting information from the state. However, due to the presence of noise, the actual state at hand is often corrupted, making its symmetric structures distorted before the execution of quantum measurements. Here, using the methodology of quantum metrology, we identify the optimal measurement that can retrieve maximum information of a symmetric state from its corrupted copies. We show that this measurement can be found by solving a semidefinite program in generic cases and can be explicitly determined for a large class of noise models covariant under the symmetry group in question. The results of this study nicely complement the recent work by providing a method to optimally utilize the distorted symmetric structures of corrupted states for information retrieval.

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arXiv2024

Strict hierarchy of optimal strategies for global estimations: Linking global estimations with local ones

A crucial yet challenging issue in quantum metrology is to ascertain the ultimate precision achievable in estimation strategies. While there are two paradigms of estimations, local and global, current research is largely confined to local estimations, which are useful once the parameter of interest is approximately known. In this Letter we target a paradigm shift towards global estimations, which can operate reliably even with a few measurement data and no substantial prior knowledge about the parameter. The key innovation here is to develop a technique, dubbed virtual imaginary time evolution, which establishes an equality between the information gained in a global estimation and the quantum Fisher information for a virtual local estimation. This offers an intriguing pathway to surmount challenges in the realm of global estimations by leveraging powerful tools tailored for local estimations. We explore our technique to reveal a strict hierarchy of achievable precision for different global estimation strategies and uncover unexpected results contrary to conventional wisdom in local estimations.

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arXiv2022

Correlation-induced coherence and its use in detecting quantum phase transitions

The past two decades have witnessed a surge of interest in exploring correlation and coherence measures to investigate quantum phase transitions (QPTs). Here, motivated by the continued push along this direction, we propose a measure which is built upon the so-called degree of coherence, and advocate using the susceptibility of our measure to detect QPTs. We show that our measure can capture both the notions of coherence and correlations exhibited in bipartite states and therefore represents a hybrid of these two notions. Through examining the XXZ model and the Kitaev honeycomb model, we demonstrate that our measure is favorable for detecting QPTs in comparison to many previous proposals.

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arXiv2021

Visualizing quantum phase transitions in the XXZ model via the quantum steering ellipsoid

The past two decades have witnessed a surge of interest in borrowing tools from quantum information theory to investigate quantum phase transitions (QPTs). The best known examples are entanglement measures whose nonanalyticities at critical points were tied to QPTs in a plethora of physical models. Here, focusing on the XXZ model, we show how QPTs can be revealed through the quantum steering ellipsoid (QSE), which is a geometric tool capable of characterizing both the strength and type of quantum correlations between two subsystems of a compound system. We find that the QSE associated with the XXZ model changes in shape with the QPTs, that is, it is a needle in the ferromagnetic phase, an oblate spheroid in the gapless phase, and a prolate spheroid in the antiferromagnetic phase. This finding offers an example demonstrating the intriguing possibility of unveiling QPTs in a geometrically visible fashion. Some connections between our results and previous ones are discussed.

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