Quantum Measurements with Dynamically Bistable Systems

Periodically modulated nonlinear oscillators often display bistability of forced vibrations. This bistability can be used for new types of quantum measurements. They are based on switching between coexisting vibrational states. Since switching is accompanied by a large change of the amplitude and phase of forced vibrations, the measurements are highly sensitive. Quantum and classical noise plays dual role. It imposes a limitation on sensitivity in the familiar regime of a bifurcation amplifier. On the other hand, it makes it possible to use a bistable modulated oscillator in a new regime of a balanced dynamical bridge. We discuss the switching probabilities and show that they display scaling with control parameters. The critical exponents are found for different types of bifurcations and for different types of noise.