Limits of Noisy Quantum Metrology with Restricted Quantum Controls

The Heisenberg limit [(HL), with estimation error scales as 1/n] and the standard quantum limit (SQL, ∝1/sqrt[n]) are two fundamental limits in estimating an unknown parameter in n copies of quantum channels and are achievable with full quantum controls, e.g., quantum error correction (QEC). It is unknown though, whether these limits are still achievable in restricted quantum devices when QEC is unavailable, e.g., with only unitary controls or bounded system sizes. In this Letter, we discover various new limits for estimating qubit channels under restrictive controls. The HL is shown to be unachievable in various cases, indicating the necessity of QEC in achieving the HL. Furthermore, a necessary and sufficient condition to achieve the SQL is determined, where a single-qubit unitary control protocol is identified to achieve the SQL for certain types of noisy channels, and for other cases a constant floor on the estimation error is proven. A practical example of the unitary protocol is provided.