Quantum

Detector-Frame Quantum Limits for Heterodyne Timing in Relativistic Optical Links

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 14/10/2026, 12:17:25 UTC.

Briefings

A new arXiv preprint establishes detector-frame quantum limits for heterodyne timing in relativistic optical links. The study derives Mandelstam-Tamm and Margolus-Levitin bounds for Gaussian resources, identifying a geometric-operational mismatch where global state evolution can be faster than the measured information rate. This research provides a cube-root scaling benchmark for optimal pre-lock integration windows and defines minimum residual phase error under white phase noise and relativistic beat-frequency drift, clarifying how global dynamical bounds constrain continuous optical measurements.

Key points

• The study derives closed-form Mandelstam-Tamm and Margolus-Levitin bounds for Gaussian resources using an effective two-mode signal-local-oscillator model.
• It identifies a geometric-operational mismatch where global state evolution can occur on arbitrarily short timescales while the relevant information rate is limited by measured detector records.

Context

Long-baseline optical links for space interferometry and satellite quantum networks rely on heterodyne phase tracking under Doppler motion and gravitational frequency shifts. These relativistic shifts can generate large detector-frame beat-frequency offsets over finite readout windows, constraining temporal precision of front-end phase readout.

Limitations

The evidence is an arXiv preprint (arXiv:2610.13963v1) with no publication date or peer review status. Results are presented as theoretical bounds and benchmarks rather than experimentally verified data. Specific numerical values for phase error or integration windows are not provided in the abstract.

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