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Optimal single-mode squeezing for beam displacement sensing
Optics Express
|May 4, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a new framework for precisely estimating optical beam displacement, even with diffraction loss. It reveals how quantum probes can significantly outperform classical lasers for enhanced optical sensing.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Optical sensing
- Metrology
Background:
- Optical beam displacement estimation is crucial for imaging and sensing.
- Quantum enhancements offer improved measurement precision.
- Previous methods lacked generality in accounting for diffraction loss and optimizing quantum probes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a general framework for quantum-enhanced optical displacement sensing.
- To investigate the impact of diffraction loss and optimize probe parameters.
- To identify quantum-optimal probes for linear probe-target interactions with photon loss.
Main Methods:
- Reduced an infinite-spatial-mode problem to a three-mode interaction framework for small displacements.
- Quantified quantum advantage using a single-spatial-mode Gaussian-state probe.
- Analyzed receiver optimality with a two-spatial-mode homodyne receiver.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a simplified framework for complex quantum sensing problems.
- Quantified the improvement of quantum probes over classical laser probes.
- Identified conditions for asymptotically optimal receivers in high-energy limits.
Conclusions:
- The study presents a novel strategy for designing quantum-optimal probes in realistic optical sensing scenarios.
- Findings are applicable to generic multimode linear interactions and photon loss.
- Offers a pathway to enhanced precision in optical metrology and imaging.
