Quantum nondemolition measurements

Abstract

Summary form only given. The present techniques allow one to perform continuous or discrete quantum measurements at or even beyond the standard "quantum noise" level, even on single quantum objects. In this context, Kip Thorne and Vladimir Braginsky introduced in the seventies the concept of "Quantum Non Demolition (QND) measurement", which was initially meant to be applied to mechanical harmonic oscillators designed for detecting gravitational waves, the so-called "Weber's bars". But the QND ideas encountered a real success in quantum optics, where quantum fluctuations are readily accessible, and can also be circumvented. We review the state of the art of QND measurements, in this broad sense of sub-shot-noise optical information processing. Most of the initial objectives of QND measurements have now been successfully reached through proof-of-principle experiments. The domain is now opening on future perspectives related to quantum information processing (e.g. quantum cryptography), either with "discrete" or "continuous" quantum variables. In this context the close relationship between QND measurements and controlled-NOT (CNOT) gates are discussed and illustrated.