Communications of the ACM
Entangled Photons nlock New Super-Sensitive Characterization of Quantum Technology
A new protocol for estimating unknown optical processes could lead to better medical sensors and new approaches to measuring the performance of quantum computers.
Credit: Centre for Quantum Photonics, University of Bristol
University of Bristol and Center for Quantum Technologies researchers have demonstrated a new protocol for estimating unknown optical processes, called unitary operations, with precision enhanced by the properties of quantum mechanics. This could lead to much better medical sensors and new approaches to measuring the performance of quantum computers.
The researchers aimed the sensing power of quantum mechanics on itself, characterizing unknown quantum processes with increased precision. These new characterizations can include individual components used to build quantum computers.
"A really exciting problem is characterizing unknown quantum processes using a technique called quantum process tomography," says University of Bristol researcher Xiao-Qi Zhou.
The new approach enables the researcher to send quantum states into a system and measure the states that come out. It also can be applied to the development of more sophisticated sensors that identify molecules and chemicals more precisely by observing how they interact with quantum states of light.
"Increasing measurement precision is particularly important for probing light-sensitive samples, where we want to get as much information as we can before our probe light damages or alterations to the sample," says University of Bristol researcher Rebecca Whittaker.
From University of Bristol News
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