Precision Limits and Non-Gaussian Advantage in Optical Phase Estimation under Preparation Constraints

Abstract

In optical quantum metrology, the scaling of the quantum Fisher information (QFI) with the mean photon number is a standard benchmark for relating precision to probe resources. For phase estimation, Heisenberg scaling corresponds to a quadratic growth of the QFI with the mean photon number, which Gaussian probes can approach. Interestingly, certain non-Gaussian probes can exhibit arbitrarily large QFI even at fixed mean photon number. Here, we clarify the resource requirements underlying this behavior by introducing a constraint that separates physically admissible states from inadmissible ones: an envelope on the photon-number distribution that arises naturally from the physical limitations of state-generation methods. Building on this constraint and considering pure single-mode probes, we define a resource quantity, $N_\mathrm{RMS}$, fixed by the preparation constraints, and derive a finite bound on the QFI whose Heisenberg scaling is attainable. We identify a genuine metrological advantage of non-Gaussian states over Gaussian probes subject to the same constraints. Finally, we illustrate these results with an optical preparation model based on a universal gate set.