Estimation of Gaussian quantum states

Abstract

We derive several expressions for the quantum Fisher information matrix (QFIM) for the multi-parameter estimation of multi-mode Gaussian quantum states, the corresponding symmetric logarithmic derivatives, and conditions for saturability of the quantum Cram\'{e}r-Rao bound. This bound determines the ultimate precision with which parameters encoded into quantum states can be estimated. We include expressions for mixed states, for the case when the Williamson decomposition of the covariance matrix is known, expressions in terms of infinite series, and expressions for pure states. We also discuss problematic behavior when some modes are pure, and present a method that allows the use of expressions that are defined only for mixed states, to compute QFIM for states with any number of pure modes.