Manifestation of critical effects in environmental parameter estimation using a quantum sensor under dynamical control

Abstract

Quantum probes offer a powerful platform for exploring environmental dynamics, particularly through their sensitivity to decoherence processes. In this work, we investigate the emergence of critical behavior in the estimation of the environmental memory time ${\tau }_c$, modeled as an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process characterized by a Lorentzian spectral density. Using dynamically controlled qubit-based sensors—realized experimentally via solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and supported by numerical simulations—we implement tailored filter functions to interrogate the environmental noise spectrum and extract ${\tau }_c$ from its spectral width. Our results reveal a sharp transition in estimation performance between short-memory (SM) and long-memory (LM) regimes, reflected in a non-monotonic estimation error that resembles a phase transition. This behavior is accompanied by an avoided-crossing-like structure in the estimated parameter space, indicative of two competing solutions near the critical point. These features underscore the interplay between control, decoherence, and inference in open quantum systems. Beyond their fundamental significance, these critical phenomena offer a practical diagnostic tool for identifying dynamical regimes and optimizing quantum sensing protocols. By exploiting this criticality, our findings pave the way for adaptive control strategies aimed at enhancing precision in quantum parameter estimation—particularly in complex or structured environments such as spin networks, diffusive media, and quantum materials.