Sensitivity Evaluation of SU(1,1) Interferometers with Arbitrary Input Probe State and Homodyne Detections

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical analysis of SU(1,1) interferometers with arbitrary input states and homodyne detection, exploring configurations, losses, and optimization for enhanced phase sensitivity.

Contribution

It offers a general analytical framework for evaluating and optimizing SU(1,1) interferometers under various practical conditions and input states.

Findings

Highest robustness to high internal losses with single-output detection and equal gain amplifiers.

Optimal configurations depend on loss levels and input states.

Analytical expressions enable design of quantum-enhanced interferometers.

Abstract

We provide a general theoretical derivation of the phase sensitivity achieved by SU(1,1) interferometers under homodyne detection. The general expressions obtained accommodate arbitrary input states and include internal and external losses. In this systematic review, both full SU(1,1) interferometers with two parametric amplifiers and the truncated interferometers with only one parametric amplifier are examined. We investigate scenarios involving both single-output ports and joint homodyne detection, and consider parametric amplifiers with equal gains or with a boosted gain second amplifier. Our analytical formulation provides physical insight and understanding of the improvements in the sensitivity, which are shown to originate from noise reduction and/or signal amplification, depending on the configurations and practical implementations. Surprisingly, the configuration with single-output mode detection and parametric amplifiers with equal gains exhibits the highest robustness to very high internal losses. We finally apply this framework to a ubiquitous $|\alpha,0\rangle$ input two-mode coherent probe state. This approach permits the comparison of different strategies and the optimization of the interferometer performance in the presence of losses. In particular, we determine which amplification and detection configurations provide the best performance, depending on the level of losses. This exemplifies how this general analytical approach provides a powerful tool to design quantum-enhanced interferometers and achieve optimal sensitivity with selected probe states and homodyne detection.