Experimental test of entropic noise-disturbance uncertainty relations for spin-1/2 measurements

Abstract

Information-theoretic definitions for noise and disturbance in quantum measurements were given in Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 050401 (2014) and a state-independent noise-disturbance uncertainty relation was obtained. Here, we derive a tight noise-disturbance uncertainty relation for complementary qubit observables and carry out an experimental test. Successive projective measurements on the neutron's spin-1/2system, together with a correction procedure which reduces the disturbance, are performed. Our experimental results saturate the tight noise-disturbance uncertainty relation for qubits when an optimal correction procedure is applied.

5 pages, 5 figures plus Supplemental Material (5 pages, 4 figures)