Noisy initial-state qubit-channel metrology with additional undesirable noisy evolution

Abstract: We consider protocols for estimating the parameter in a single-parameter unital qubit channel, assuming that the available initial states are highly mixed with very low purity. We compare two protocols: one uses $n$ qubits prepared in a particular correlated input state and subsequently invokes the channel on one qubit. The other uses a single qubit and invokes the channel once. We compare the accuracy of the protocols using the quantum Fisher information for each. We extend the results of Collins [1] by allowing for additional noisy evolution on the spectator qubits in the $n$-qubit protocol. We provide simple algebraic expressions that will determine when the $n$-qubit protocol is superior and provide techniques that can alleviate certain types of noise. We show that for certain types of noisy evolution the $n$-qubit protocol will be inferior but for others it will be superior.