Quantum metrology of rotations with mixed spin states

Abstract

The efficiency of a quantum metrology protocol can be considerably reduced by the interaction of a quantum system with its environment, resulting in a loss of purity and, consequently, a mixed state for the probing system. In this paper we examine the potential of mixed spin-$j$ states to achieve sensitivity comparable, and even equal, to that of pure states in the measurement of infinitesimal rotations about arbitrary axes. We introduce the concept of mixed optimal quantum rotosensors based on a maximization of the Fisher quantum information and show that it is related to the notion of anticoherence of spin states and its generalization to subspaces. We present several examples of anticoherent subspaces and their associated mixed optimal quantum rotosensors. We also show that the latter maximize negativity for specific bipartitions, reaching the same maximum value as pure states. These results elucidate the interplay between quantum metrology of rotations, anticoherence and entanglement in the framework of mixed spin states