Quantum technology based on matter-wave interference will enable ultra-precise measurements of accelerations, rotations, and gravitational fields to benefit applications such as navigation, minerals exploration, and environmental hydrology.

However, until now, there has been no clear way to quantify the sensitivity of these devices, especially when the behaviour of the system is dominated by complicated wave-like dynamics. Simon Haine, a theoretical physicist from the University of Queensland, Australia, has demonstrated a theoretical technique that can be universally applied to theoretical calculations of matter-wave dynamics, and provides useful insights into how to maximise the sensitivity of these devices.

Using the “Fisher-Information”, a tool that has recently been applied to quantum metrology, but has so far not been applied to matter-wave dynamics, Dr. Haine showed that there is a simple analytic expression for the sensitivity of matter-wave devices.  This result will aid the design of the next generation of ultra-precise sensing technology.

The research was published in Physical Review Letters 

http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.230404