Jiawei Zhang

The quantum metric, a geometric measure of state-space distance, has recently attracted growing attention for capturing anomalous state responses to parameter variations. Especially in non-Hermitian systems, the quantum metric has been observed to diverge when the eigenstates coalesce, a phenomenon identified as a remarkable resource for sensing. Here, by exploiting this divergence, we establish a non-Hermitian sensing scheme that leverages enhanced transient dynamics to provide a geometric gain for amplifying external field signals. We confirm the critical enhancement in the Fisher information using a trapped-ion 171Yb+ platform and demonstrate superior noise robustness over conventional eigenvalue-splitting--based non-Hermitian schemes by evaluating the minimum detectable signal. Moreover, this scheme can be naturally combined with non-Hermitian topological dynamics, revealing a unique unidirectional sensing response, which indicates its potential for directional signal discrimination. Our work establishes a new paradigm for sensing in open quantum systems through critical quantum geometry and opens a route toward robust topological quantum sensing.

As superconducting quantum computing continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, there is a compelling demand for the innovation of specialized electronic instruments that act as crucial conduits between quantum processors and host computers. Here, we introduce a Microwave Measurement and Control System (M2CS) dedicated for large-scale superconducting quantum processors. M2CS features a compact modular design that balances overall performance, scalability, and flexibility. Electronic tests of M2CS show key metrics comparable to commercial instruments. Benchmark tests on transmon superconducting qubits further show qubit coherence and gate fidelities comparable to state-of-the-art results, confirming M2CS's capability to meet the stringent requirements of quantum experiments run on intermediate-scale quantum processors. The system's compact and scalable design offers significant room for further enhancements that could accommodate the measurement and control requirements of over 1000 qubits, and can also be adopted to other quantum computing platforms such as trapped ions and silicon quantum dots. The M2CS architecture may also be applied to wider range of scenarios, such as microwave kinetic inductance detectors, as well as phased array radar systems.