Clock frequency estimation under spontaneous emission

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how spontaneous emission impacts quantum clock frequency estimation in a driven two-level system, providing exact solutions and identifying regimes where frequency inference remains feasible despite decoherence.

Contribution

It offers an analytical solution to the quantum dynamics under spontaneous emission and explores its implications for precise frequency estimation in quantum systems.

Findings

Exact solutions reveal three dynamical regimes: Rabi oscillation, damped oscillation, overdamped decay.

Frequency estimation remains viable under modest spontaneous emission rates.

Results have practical implications for quantum frequency measurement and control.

Abstract

We investigate the quantum dynamics of a driven two-level system under spontaneous emission and its application in clock frequency estimation. By using a Lindblad equation to describe the system, we analytically obtain its exact solutions, which show three different regimes: Rabi oscillation, damped oscillation and overdamped decay. From the analytical solutions, we explore how the spontaneous emission affects the clock frequency estimation. We find that, under a modest spontaneous emission rate, the transition frequency can still be inferred from the Rabi oscillation. Our results provide potential practical applications in frequency measurement and quantum control under decoherence.