High-Resolution Sensing via Quantum States Discrimination

TL;DR

This paper introduces a quantum state discrimination method for high-resolution sensing, significantly improving measurement precision and enabling simultaneous detection of multiple parameters in optical microcavities.

Contribution

It proposes a novel quantum measurement strategy that enhances discriminability by constructing measurement operators in the orthogonal complement space, advancing high-resolution sensing technology.

Findings

Achieved a sensing resolution of 4×10⁻⁶ °C for temperature.

Achieved a sensing resolution of 18 pε for strain.

Demonstrated the feasibility of simultaneous temperature and strain sensing.

Abstract

High-resolution sensing plays a significant role in scientific research and industrial production, but the practical implementation is constrained by the physical mechanisms of the sensors. To address the critical limitation, we propose a high-resolution sensing approach based on quantum state discrimination. Distinct from conventional strategies, the proposed approach constructs measurement operators in the orthogonal complement space rather than eigenspace of the eigenstate, thereby notably improving the discriminability among quantum states. Moreover, the experimental results via an optical microcavity demonstrate a potential sensing resolution of 4 $\times$ 10\textsuperscript{-6} \degree C and 18 p$\epsilon$ respectively for temperature and strain, and further verify the feasibility of simultaneous sensing of the two parameters. This work establishs a universal approach for high-resolution sensing, and may be extended to different sensing platforms across various application scenarios.