Phase sensing beyond the standard quantum limit with a truncated SU(1,1) interferometer

TL;DR

This paper introduces a modified SU(1,1) interferometer that uses balanced homodyne detection instead of a second nonlinear interaction, achieving phase sensitivity beyond the standard quantum limit even with significant optical loss.

Contribution

The work demonstrates a novel truncated SU(1,1) interferometer design that surpasses the standard quantum limit using a two-mode squeezed state and balanced homodyne detection.

Findings

Surpasses standard quantum limit by 4 dB with 35% loss

Uses seeded four-wave-mixing in Rb vapor to generate quantum states

Achieves high phase sensitivity at low optical powers

Abstract

An SU(1,1) interferometer replaces the beamsplitters in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with nonlinear interactions and offers the potential of achieving high phase sensitivity in applications with low optical powers. We present a novel variation in which the second nonlinear interaction is replaced with balanced homodyne detection. The phase-sensing quantum state is a two-mode squeezed state produced by seeded four-wave-mixing in Rb vapor. Measurements as a function of operating point show that even with $\approx35~\%$ loss this device can surpass the standard quantum limit by 4~dB.