Optimal superpositions for particle detection via quantum phase
Exploiting quantum mechanics for sensing offers unprecedented possibilities. State-of-the-art proposals for novel quantum sensors often rely on the creation of large superpositions and generally detect a field. However, what is the optimal superposition size for detecting an incident particle from a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023037 |
| _version_ | 1797210149639684096 |
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| author | Eva Kilian Marko Toroš P. F. Barker Sougato Bose |
| author_facet | Eva Kilian Marko Toroš P. F. Barker Sougato Bose |
| author_sort | Eva Kilian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Exploiting quantum mechanics for sensing offers unprecedented possibilities. State-of-the-art proposals for novel quantum sensors often rely on the creation of large superpositions and generally detect a field. However, what is the optimal superposition size for detecting an incident particle from a specific direction? This question is nontrivial as, in general, this incident particle will scatter off with varied momenta, imparting varied recoils to the sensor, resulting in decoherence rather than a well-defined measurable phase. By considering scattering interactions of directional particulate environments with a system in a quantum superposition, we find that there is an optimal superposition size for measuring particles via a relative phase. As a consequence of the anisotropy of the environment, we observe a feature in the limiting behavior of the real and imaginary parts of the system's density matrix, linking the optimality of the superposition size to the wavelength of the scatterer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:06:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-231c1d663a394b29976b0529b987785f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2643-1564 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:06:00Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-231c1d663a394b29976b0529b987785f2024-04-12T17:41:25ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642024-04-016202303710.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023037Optimal superpositions for particle detection via quantum phaseEva KilianMarko TorošP. F. BarkerSougato BoseExploiting quantum mechanics for sensing offers unprecedented possibilities. State-of-the-art proposals for novel quantum sensors often rely on the creation of large superpositions and generally detect a field. However, what is the optimal superposition size for detecting an incident particle from a specific direction? This question is nontrivial as, in general, this incident particle will scatter off with varied momenta, imparting varied recoils to the sensor, resulting in decoherence rather than a well-defined measurable phase. By considering scattering interactions of directional particulate environments with a system in a quantum superposition, we find that there is an optimal superposition size for measuring particles via a relative phase. As a consequence of the anisotropy of the environment, we observe a feature in the limiting behavior of the real and imaginary parts of the system's density matrix, linking the optimality of the superposition size to the wavelength of the scatterer.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023037 |
| spellingShingle | Eva Kilian Marko Toroš P. F. Barker Sougato Bose Optimal superpositions for particle detection via quantum phase Physical Review Research |
| title | Optimal superpositions for particle detection via quantum phase |
| title_full | Optimal superpositions for particle detection via quantum phase |
| title_fullStr | Optimal superpositions for particle detection via quantum phase |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimal superpositions for particle detection via quantum phase |
| title_short | Optimal superpositions for particle detection via quantum phase |
| title_sort | optimal superpositions for particle detection via quantum phase |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023037 |
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