Quantum Fisher information matrix (QFIM) is a core concept in theoretical quantum metrology due to the significant importance of quantum Cramér–Rao bound in quantum parameter estimation. However, studies in recent years have revealed wide connections between QFIM and other aspects of quantum mechanics, including quantum thermodynamics, quantum phase transition, entanglement witness, quantum speed limit and non-Markovianity. These connections indicate that QFIM is more than a concept in quantum metrology, but rather a fundamental quantity in quantum mechanics. In this paper, we summarize the properties and existing calculation techniques of QFIM for various cases, and review the development of QFIM in some aspects of quantum mechanics apart from quantum metrology. On the other hand, as the main application of QFIM, the second part of this paper reviews the quantum multiparameter Cramér–Rao bound, its attainability condition and the associated optimal measurements. Moreover, recent developments in a few typical scenarios of quantum multiparameter estimation and the quantum advantages are also thoroughly discussed in this part.

A pivotal task in quantum metrology, and quantum parameter estimation in general, is to design schemes that achieve the highest precision with the given resources. Standard models of quantum metrology usually assume that the dynamics is fixed and that the highest precision is achieved by preparing the optimal probe states and performing optimal measurements. However, in many practical experimental settings, additional controls are usually available to alter the dynamics. Here we propose to use optimal control methods for further improvement of the precision limit of quantum parameter estimation. We show that, by exploring the additional degree of freedom offered by the controls, a higher-precision limit can be achieved. In particular, we show that the precision limit under the controlled schemes can go beyond the constraints put by the coherent time, which is in contrast with the standard scheme where the precision limit is always bounded by the coherent time.

We find a phase-matching condition for enhancement of sensitivity in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer illuminated by an arbitrary state in one input port and an odd (even) state in the other port. Under this condition, the Fisher information becomes maximal with respect to the relative phase of two modes, and the phase sensitivity is enhanced. For the case with photon losses, we further find that the phase-matching condition remains unchanged with a coherent state and a coherent superposition state as the input states.

Most studies in multiparameter estimation assume the dynamics is fixed and focus on identifying the optimal probe state and the optimal measurements. In practice, however, controls are usually available to alter the dynamics, which provides another degree of freedom. In this paper we employ optimal control methods, particularly the gradient ascent pulse engineering (GRAPE), to design optimal controls for the improvement of the precision limit in multiparameter estimation. We show that the controlled schemes are not only capable to provide a higher precision limit, but also have a higher stability to the inaccuracy of the time point performing the measurements. This high time stability will benefit the practical metrology, where it is hard to perform the measurement at a very accurate time point due to the response time of the measurement apparatus.

We derive an easily computable quantum speed limit (QSL) time bound for open systems whose initial states can be chosen as either pure or mixed states. Moreover, this QSL time is applicable to either Markovian or non-Markovian dynamics. By using of a hierarchy equation method, we numerically study the QSL time bound in a qubit system interacting with a single broadened cavity mode without rotating-wave, Born and Markovian approximation. By comparing with rotating-wave approximation (RWA) results, we show that the counter-rotating terms are helpful to increase evolution speed. The problem of non-Markovianity is also considered. We find that for non-RWA cases, increasing system-bath coupling can not always enhance the non-Markovianity, which is qualitatively different from the results with RWA. When considering the relation between QSL and non-Markovianity, we find that for small broadening widths of the cavity mode, non-Markovianity can increase the evolution speed in either RWA or non-RWA cases, while, for larger broadening widths, it is not true for non-RWA cases.