Diffraction limit of the sub-Planck structures

TL;DR

This paper investigates the diffraction limit of sub-Planck structures in quantum phase space, revealing how large superpositions of coherent states produce diffraction patterns similar to classical optics, with rapid convergence to the asymptotic limit.

Contribution

The study derives an exact asymptotic expression for the overlap function of large cat states, linking quantum phase space interference to classical diffraction patterns.

Findings

Overlap function matches diffraction pattern of a circular ring

Convergence to asymptotic limit is rapid

Results align with the van Cittert-Zernike theorem

Abstract

The orthogonality of cat and displaced cat states, underlying Heisenberg limited measurement in quantum metrology, is studied in the limit of large number of states. The asymptotic expression for the corresponding state overlap function, controlled by the sub-Planck structures arising from phase space interference, is obtained exactly. For large number of coherent states, uniformly located on a circle, it identically matches with the diffraction pattern for a circular ring with uniform angular source strength. This is in accordence with the van Cittert-Zernike theorem, where the overlap function, similar to the mutual coherence function matches with a diffraction pattern. Interestingly, the convergence to asymptotic limit is quite rapid, reminiscent of the convergence of superposed incoherent sources.