Causal state estimation and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle

Abstract

The observables of a noisy quantum system can be estimated by appropriately filtering the records of their continuous measurement. Such filtering is relevant for state estimation, and if the filter is causal, also relevant for measurement-based feedback control. It is therefore imperative that a pair of conjugate observables estimated causally satisfy the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. In this article, we prove this fact—without assuming Markovian dynamics or Gaussian noises, in the presence or absence of feedback control of the system, and where in the feedback loop (inside or outside) the measurement record is accessed. Indeed, causal estimators using the in-loop measurement record can be as precise as those using the out-of-loop record. These results clarify the role of causal estimators to non-Markovian quantum systems, restore the equanimity of in-loop and out-of-loop measurements in their estimation and control, and simplify future experiments on measurement-based quantum feedback control.