Compatibility in multiparameter quantum metrology

Simultaneous estimation of multiple parameters in quantum metrological models is complicated by factors relating to the (i) existence of a single probe state allowing for optimal sensitivity for all parameters of interest, (ii) existence of a single measurement optimally extracting information from the probe state on all the parameters, and (iii) statistical independence of the estimated parameters. We consider the situation when these concerns present no obstacle, and for every estimated parameter the variance obtained in the multiparameter scheme is equal to that of an optimal scheme for that parameter alone, assuming all other parameters are perfectly known. We call such models compatible. In establishing a rigorous theoretical framework for investigating compatibility, we clarify some ambiguities and inconsistencies present in the literature and discuss several examples to highlight interesting features of unitary and nonunitary parameter estimation, as well as deriving new bounds for physical problems of interest, such as the simultaneous estimation of phase and local dephasing.