From dynamical to steady-state many-body metrology: Precision limits and their attainability with two-body interactions

TL;DR

This paper explores how many-body interactions can enhance quantum sensing precision, establishing bounds and optimal Hamiltonians for both dynamical and steady-state scenarios, with practical focus on magnetic field estimation using spins.

Contribution

It introduces bounds on quantum Fisher information for many-body systems and identifies optimal two-body Hamiltonians to approach these bounds in sensing tasks.

Findings

Optimal two-body Hamiltonians approach fundamental precision bounds.

Steady-state and dynamical regimes offer different advantages for sensing.

Tradeoffs exist between equilibration time and measurement precision.

Abstract

We consider the estimation of an unknown parameter $\theta$ via a many-body probe. The probe is initially prepared in a product state and many-body time-independent interactions enhance its $\theta$-sensitivity during the dynamics and/or in the steady state. We present bounds on the Quantum Fisher Information, and corresponding optimal interacting Hamiltonians, for two paradigmatic scenarios for encoding~$\theta$: (i)~via unitary Hamiltonian dynamics (dynamical metrology), and (ii)~in the Gibbs and diagonal ensembles (time-averaged dephased state), two ubiquitous steady states of many-body open dynamics. We then move to the specific problem of estimating the strength of a magnetic field via interacting spins and derive two-body interacting Hamiltonians that can approach the fundamental precision bounds. In this case, we additionally analyze the transient regime leading to the steady states and characterize tradeoffs between equilibration times and measurement precision. Overall, our results provide a comprehensive picture of the potential of many-body control in quantum sensing.