Sub-Planck structure in a mixed state

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that sub-Planck structures in phase space persist in mixed states despite decoherence, enabling Heisenberg-limited measurements and quantum estimation, with mixed states offering practical advantages over pure states.

Contribution

It shows the persistence of sub-Planck structures in mixed states and their utility in quantum measurement, highlighting their robustness and practical advantages.

Findings

Sub-Planck structures persist in mixed states despite decoherence.

Mixed states perform as well as pure states in precision measurements.

Decoherence time scales for sub-Planck structures are estimated.

Abstract

The persistence of sub-Planck structure in phase space with loss of coherence is demonstrated in a mixed state, which comprises two terms in the density matrix. Its utility in carrying out Heisenberg-limited measurement and quantum parameter estimation have been shown. It is also shown that the mixed state performs equally well as the compass state for carrying out precision measurements. The advantage of using mixed state relies on the fact that such a state can be easier to prepare and may appear from pure states after partial loss of coherence. We explicate the effect of environment on these sub-Planck structures in the mixed state and estimates the time scale of complete decoherence.