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Shot-to-shot noise cancellation for parametric oscillators

Martynas Skrabulis, Martin Colombano Sosa, Nicola Carlon Zambon*, Andrei Militaru†, Massimiliano Rossi‡, Lukas Novotny, and Martin Frimmer

  • Photonics Laboratory, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland and Quantum Center, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland

  • *Present address: Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Padova, 35134 Padova, Italy.
  • †Present address: Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
  • ‡Present address: Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Department of Quantum Nanoscience, TU Delft, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands.
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033196 – Published 17 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/13xq-wypm

Abstract

Powerful approaches to squeeze the motional state of a harmonic oscillator rely on the stepwise modulation of its resonance frequency. Such protocols can be limited by forces that vary slowly between experimental runs but are constant during a single experimental shot. Such shot-to-shot noise gives rise to a spread in experimental outcomes that masks the uncertainty intrinsic to quantum theory. Taking inspiration from spin-echo protocols, we propose a decoupling technique that, under ideal conditions, perfectly cancels shot-to-shot force noise in squeezing experiments based on parametric modulation. We implement the protocol using an optically levitated nanoparticle, where shot-to-shot force noise arises from slowly varying stray fields acting on the charge carried by the particle. Using our oscillator-echo protocol, we demonstrate shot-to-shot noise suppression to the measurement-backaction limit.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033196– Published 17 August, 2026
  • Received 22 May 2026
  • Accepted 21 July 2026
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