Multimode Continuous-Variable Quantum Optics for Precision Sensing

测量精度的提高使许多科学和技术突破成为可能。例如，由于超短激光脉冲的发展，提高了计时的分辨率，使得在短时间尺度上研究分子动力学的全新方法成为可能。该项目旨在开发产生、操纵和测量光的量子力学状态的实验方法，并利用这些方法在存在光学损耗和背景噪声的恶劣条件下进行量子增强传感。该项目超越了以前的工作，利用了多个光学通道或模式，这些通道或模式可以具有很强的量子力学关联，即所谓的纠缠，既可以提高光学干涉测量的精度，又可以抑制背景噪声的影响。为了多样化、教育和培训即将到来的量子劳动力，该项目将为博士后研究员、研究生、本科生以及相关的外联活动提供坚实的量子和非线性光学背景和指导。该项目将致力于脉冲自发参量下转换产生的多模压缩真空态的实验发展。将开发两种不同的方法来探测非经典光-光子数分辨光谱仪和光子计数和频率产生。该项目将从理论上探索现实环境中传感的基本极限，在现实环境中，会出现损耗、噪声和其他缺陷。我们将探索在定义明确的时间模式下的光子加减，以此来提高量子传感协议的性能。该项目的结果将促进对纠缠在传感中的作用的理解，并影响未来的量子增强传感研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Improved precision in measurement has enabled numerous scientific and technical breakthroughs. For example, increased resolution in timing arising from the development of ultrashort laser pulses has enabled entirely new approaches to study molecular dynamics on short time scales. This project aims at developing experimental methods for the generation, manipulation and measurement of quantum-mechanical states of light and to exploit these for quantum-enhanced sensing under adverse conditions in which optical loss and background noise are present. The project goes beyond prior work by utilizing multiple optical channels, or modes, that can have strong quantum-mechanical correlations, known as entanglement, to both enhance the precision in optical interferometry, but also suppress the contributions of background noise. To diversify, educate and train the upcoming quantum workforce the project will provide a solid background and mentoring in quantum and nonlinear optics for a postdoctoral researcher, graduate student, undergraduate students, as well as related outreach activities. The project will focus on the experimental development of multimode squeezed vacuum states generated by pulsed spontaneous parametric down conversion. Two different approaches to detecting the nonclassical light will be developed – a photon-number-resolving spectrometer and photon-counting sum-frequency generation. The project will explore theoretically the fundamental limits of sensing in realistic settings, where loss, noise and other imperfections arise. Photon addition and subtraction in well-defined temporal modes will be explored as means to boost the performance of quantum sensing protocols. The project results will advance the understanding of the role entanglement in sensing and influence future quantum-enhanced sensing research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.