Unbounded quantum Fisher information in two-path interferometry with finite photon number (1105.2990v5)

Abstract: The minimum error of unbiased parameter estimation is quantified by the quantum Fisher information in accordance to the Cram\'{e}r-Rao bound. We indicate that only superposed NOON states by simultaneous measurements can achieve the maximum quantum Fisher information with form $<\hat{N}^{2}>$ for a given photon number distribution by a POVM in linear two-path interferometer phase measurement. We present a series of specified superposed states with infinite quantum Fisher information but with finite average photon numbers. The advantage of this unbounded quantum Fisher information will be beneficial to many applications in quantum technology.