Quantumness certification via non-demolition measurements

Abstract: The fundamental question of when a static or dynamic system should be deemed intrinsically quantum remains a challenge to address in absolute terms. A rigorous criterion, however, can be established by focusing on the measurable or reconstructible features of the system. This determination transcends mere issues of a system's classical simulability or computational complexity. Instead, the critical requirement lies in the certification (ideally, in real-time) of the emergence and persistence of genuine quantum features, principally entanglement and quantum superposition. Quantum Non-Demolition Measurements (QNDM) serve as the appropriate instrument for this certification, both from a theoretical and experimental standpoint. In this review paper, we demonstrate, with accessible clarity, how the implementation of QNDM can be directly linked to a necessary and sufficient condition for the violation of macrorealism in finite-dimensional systems, establishing a conceptual parallel with Leggett-Garg inequalities. Using concrete examples that detail the detection of negative terms in the quasi-probability density function resulting from QNDM, we introduce the core concepts for certifying genuinely quantum features. As specific examples, we discuss an application where the quantum-to-classical transition due to the interaction with an environment can be tracked by QNDM. Moreover, we argue about the robustness of QNDM protocols in the presence of noise sources and their advantages with respect to the Leggett-Garg inequalities. Because of its straightforward implementation, the QNDM approach can be of direct relevance to both the foundations of quantum mechanics and quantum information theory, where a controlled generation and certification of genuinely quantum resources is a central concern.