On Quantum Reliability Characterizing Systematic Errors in Quantum Sensing

TL;DR

This paper introduces quantum reliability as a new metric for evaluating quantum sensors' performance without needing true values, relating it to sensitivity and systematic errors, and demonstrating its application in magnetic field sensing.

Contribution

It derives a general relationship among reliability, sensitivity, and systematic error, and applies it to a practical quantum sensing scenario, advancing reliability analysis in quantum systems.

Findings

Quantum reliability can evaluate sensor performance without true values.

A relationship among reliability, sensitivity, and systematic error is established.

Application demonstrated in magnetic field sensing with spin-1/2 particles.

Abstract

Quantum sensing utilize quantum effects, such as entanglement and coherence, to measure physical signals. The performance of a sensing process is characterized by error which requires comparison to a true value. However, in practice, such a true value might be inaccessible. In this study, we utilize quantum reliability as a metric to evaluate quantum sensor's performance based solely on the apparatus itself, without any prior knowledge of true value. We derive a general relationship among reliability, sensitivity, and systematic error, and demonstrate this relationship using a typical quantum sensing process. That is to measure magnetic fields (as a signal) by a spin-$1/2$ particle and using the Stern-Gerlach apparatus to read out the signal information. Our findings illustrate the application of quantum reliability in quantum sensing, opening new perspectives for reliability analysis in quantum systems.