Breaking the quantum Cramér-Rao bound with non-Markovian memory effects

Abstract: Linear optics provides versatile means to simulate and control the dynamics of open quantum systems. Here, the polarization and frequency of photons often represent the system and its environment, respectively. Recently, the photon's path degree of freedom and the effects of interference have been considered as well, giving rise to the concept of "open system interference". Such models have been shown to beat traditional parameter estimation schemes in certain scenarios. In this work, we study the sensitivity of non-Markovian memory effects arising from an open system Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Our protocol provides an alternative way to get around the quantum Cram\'er-Rao theorem, proving itself a noteworthy option for more conventional parameter estimation protocols.