Continuous-variable metrology beyond squeezed states and homodyne readout

Continuous-variable metrology includes gravitational-wave interferometers, ultralight dark matter haloscopes, and optomechanical tests of quantum gravity. Naive analyses of these systems has led to the common belief that the optimal metrological protocol is single-mode squeezing and homodyne. In this talk, I will present a collection of our recent results about alternative metrological protocols that variously account for incompatibility, signal stochasticity, experimental dead time, coherent control, distributed sensing, and the use of quantum computation.