Adiabatic quantum metrology with strongly correlated quantum optical systems

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how adiabatic evolution in strongly correlated quantum optical systems, specifically the Dicke model, can be used for quantum metrology by exploiting ground state sensitivity at phase transitions, with potential experimental tests in ion traps.

Contribution

It introduces a self-induced quantum metrological protocol based on the Dicke Hamiltonian's ground state behavior near phase transitions, linking quantum phase transitions to parameter estimation capabilities.

Findings

Ground state sensitivity enhances parameter estimation near phase transitions.

Scaling laws relate system size and symmetry-breaking field to metrological precision.

Proposed experimental realization with trapped ion systems.

Abstract

We show that the quasi-adiabatic evolution of a system governed by the Dicke Hamiltonian can be described in terms of a self-induced quantum many-body metrological protocol. This effect relies on the sensitivity of the ground state to a small symmetry-breaking perturbation at the quantum phase transition, that leads to the collapse of the wavefunciton into one of two possible ground states. The scaling of the final state properties with the number of atoms and with the intensity of the symmetry breaking field, can be interpreted in terms of the precession time of an effective quantum metrological protocol. We show that our ideas can be tested with spin-phonon interactions in trapped ion setups. Our work points to a classification of quantum phase transitions in terms of the capability of many-body quantum systems for parameter estimation.