Technique - (4) Entanglement-enhanced trapped-ion precision measurement

Type: Experimental

Description: Using multi-ion entangled states to common-mode-reject systematics and improve precision in fundamental measurements such as atomic parity violation in Ba+.

Department(s)/lab(s): Physics – Institute for Quantum Electronics | Quantum Control for Fundamental Physics Group (Craik Group) @ ETH Zurich
Summary:

Craik leads the RAVIOLIS project (SNSF Starting Grant, started July 2025) measuring atomic parity violation in barium ions at <0.1% precision. Her entanglement protocol uses multi-ion entangled states with photonic integrated waveguide addressing to common-mode-reject parity-conserving systematics. Previous work: precision measurement of Ba+ dipole transition probabilities below 1% uncertainty; first laser-guided individual addressing of Ba+ qubits with <10^-4 intensity crosstalk; isotope-shift spectroscopy in Ca+ for fifth-force searches. She is actively recruiting for postdocs and PhD students for the new Ba+ ion trap experiment.

Department(s)/lab(s): School of Physics | Quantum Control Laboratory @ USyd
Summary:

Biercuk's Quantum Control Laboratory sits precisely at the intersection of control engineering and precision measurement. The group uses trapped ytterbium ions — including large 2D Penning-trap crystals — as both quantum simulators and as calibrated sensors, and is best known for noise spectroscopy: using the qubit itself as a spectrum analyser of its environment, then designing dynamical-decoupling and open-loop control sequences that null the dominant noise. That programme produced Q-CTRL, his quantum control software company, and more recently a serious push into quantum sensing for navigation (magnetic anomaly navigation, quantum-enhanced RF sensing) as a commercial and defence application. Positioned against the established body of NV-ensemble quantum sensing work — DEER, nanoscale NMR and T1 relaxometry protocols operating at pT/sqrt(Hz) field sensitivity — his filter-function and noise-spectroscopy formalism is now standard equipment in the NV community for designing the DEER and dynamical-decoupling sequences that deliver pT/sqrt(Hz) sensitivity; a candidate from that background would find the theoretical toolkit immediately familiar. Large, well-funded group with strong industry pathways.

Department(s)/lab(s): School of Physics | Quantum Control Laboratory @ USyd
Summary:

Tan trained at NIST Boulder in the Wineland lineage and brought quantum-logic spectroscopy and entanglement-enhanced metrology to Sydney. His independent programme builds trapped-ion systems for quantum simulation of vibronic and chemical dynamics, for bosonic/qudit encodings, and — most relevant here — for precision measurement that exploits entangled states to beat the standard quantum limit. The group also works on high-fidelity gates and on using motional modes as sensitive transducers of weak forces and electric fields. Positioned against the established body of NV-ensemble quantum sensing work — DEER, nanoscale NMR and T1 relaxometry protocols operating at pT/sqrt(Hz) field sensitivity — entanglement-enhanced protocols are the natural next step beyond the shot-noise-limited pT/sqrt(Hz) ensemble measurements that define the current NV state of the art, and Tan is one of a small number of Australian PIs actually implementing them. Mid-career, actively building; a strong option for a candidate wanting to move from spin ensembles to entangled sensors.

Department(s)/lab(s): School of Physics | Quantum Control Laboratory @ USyd
Summary:

Wolf works on trapped-ion quantum sensing, using the motional degrees of freedom of single ions and small crystals as transducers for weak electric fields and forces, together with non-classical motional states (squeezed and Fock states) to enhance the achievable sensitivity. The broader agenda is to use trapped ions as a testbed for fundamental measurement limits — quantum-enhanced amplification of small displacements, quantum non-demolition readout of motion — with an eye to applications in electric-field metrology and searches for new physics. Positioned against the established body of NV-ensemble quantum sensing work — DEER, nanoscale NMR and T1 relaxometry protocols operating at pT/sqrt(Hz) field sensitivity — trapped-ion motional sensing is the cleanest available platform for demonstrating the entanglement-enhanced scaling that NV ensembles at pT/sqrt(Hz) approach only in the shot-noise-limited regime. Early-career independent PI within the Quantum Control Laboratory; smaller group, higher autonomy.