Spin qubits for quantum simulations

The investigation of quantum mechanical systems mostly concentrates on single elementary particles. If we combine such particles into a composite quantum system, the number of degrees of freedom of the combined system grows exponentially with the number of particles. This is a major difficulty when we try to describe the dynamics of such a system, since the computational resources required for this task also grow exponentially. In the context of quantum information processing, this difficulty becomes the main source of power: in some situations, information processors based in quantum mechanics can process information exponentially faster than classical systems. From the perspective of a physicist, one of the most interesting applications of this type of information processing is the simulation of quantum systems. We call a quantum information processor that simulates other quantum systems a quantum simulator.     

Implementations of quantum and classical gates with linear optical devices and photon number quantum non-demolition measurement for polarization encoded qubits

Aiming the construction of quantum computers and quantum communication systems based on optical devices, in this work we present possible implementations of quantum and classical CNOTs gates, as well an optical setup for generation and distribution of bipartite entangled states, using linear optical devices and photon number quantum non-demolition measurement.     

Detection of Majorana fermions in an Aharonov–Bohm interferometer

By using the non-equilibrium Green's function technique, we investigate the electronic transport properties in an Aharonov–Bohm interferometer coupling with Majorana fermions. We find a fixed unit conductance peak which is independent of the other factors when the topological superconductor is grounded. Especially, an additional phase appears when the topological superconductor is in the strong Coulomb regime, which induces a new conductance resonant peak compared with the structure of replacing the topological superconductor by a quantum dot, and the conductance oscillation with the magnetic flux reveals a 2π phase shift by raising(lowering) a charge on the capacitor.     

A realizable quantum encryption algorithm for qubits

A realizable quantum encryption algorithm for qubits is presented by employing bit-wise quantum computation. System extension and bit-swapping are introduced into the encryption process, which makes the ciphertext space expanded greatly. The security of the proposed algorithm is analysed in detail and the schematic physical implementation is also provided. It is shown that the algorithm, which can prevent quantum attack strategy as well as classical attack strategy, is effective to protect qubits. Finally, we extend our algorithm to encrypt classical binary bits and quantum entanglements.     

新型超导量子比特及量子物理问题的研究

近年来,超导量子计算的研究有了很大的进展.本文首先介绍了nSQUID新型超导量子比特的制备和研究进展,包括器件的平面多层膜制备工艺和量子相干性的研究.这类器件在量子态的传输速度和二维势系统的基础物理问题研究方面有着很大的优越性.其次,国际上新近发展的平面形式的transmon和Xmon超导量子比特具有更长的量子相干时间,在器件的设计和耦合方面也有相当的灵活性.本文介绍了我们和浙江大学与中国科学技术大学等单位合作逐步完善的这种形式的Xmon器件的制备工艺、制备出的多种耦合量子比特芯片,以及参与合作,在国际上首次完成的多达10个超导量子比特的量子态纠缠、线性方程组量子算法的实现和多体局域态等固体物理问题的量子模拟.最后介绍了基于这些超导量子比特器件开展的大量的量子物理、非线性物理和量子光学方面的研究,包括在Autler-Townes劈裂、电磁诱导透明、受激拉曼绝热通道、循环跃迁和关联激光等方面形成的一整套系统和独特的研究成果.     

Transfer of quantum entangled states between superconducting qubits and microwave field qubits

Transferring entangled states between matter qubits and microwave-field (or optical-field) qubits is of fundamental interest in quantum mechanics and necessary in hybrid quantum information processing and quantum communication. We here propose a way for transferring entangled states between superconducting qubits (matter qubits) and microwave-field qubits. This proposal is realized by a system consisting of multiple superconducting qutrits and microwave cavities. Here, „qutrit” refers to a three-level quantum system with the two lowest levels encoding a qubit while the third level acting as an auxiliary state. In contrast, the microwave-field qubits are encoded with coherent states of microwave cavities. Because the third energy level of each qutrit is not populated during the operation, decoherence from the higher energy levels is greatly suppressed. The entangled states can be deterministically transferred because measurement on the states is not needed. The operation time is independent of the number of superconducting qubits or microwave-field qubits. In addition, the architecture of the circuit system is quite simple because only a coupler qutrit and an auxiliary cavity are required. As an example, our numerical simulations show that high-fidelity transfer of entangled states from two superconducting qubits to two microwave-field qubits is feasible with present circuit QED technology. This proposal is quite general and can be extended to transfer entangled states between other matter qubits (e.g., atoms, quantum dots, and NV centers) and microwave- or optical-field qubits encoded with coherent states.     

Robust optimal quantum gates for Josephson charge qubits

Quantum optimal control theory allows us to design accurate quantum gates. We employ it to design high-fidelity two-bit gates for Josephson charge qubits in the presence of both leakage and noise. Our protocol considerably increases the fidelity of the gate and, more important, it is quite robust in the disruptive presence of 1/f noise. The improvement in the gate performances discussed in this work (errors approximately 10(-3)-10(-4) in realistic cases) allows us to cross the fault tolerance threshold.     

Towards a spin-ensemble quantum memory for superconducting qubits

This article reviews efforts to build a new type of quantum device, which combines an ensemble of electronic spins with long coherence times, and a small-scale superconducting quantum processor. The goal is to store over long times arbitrary qubit states in orthogonal collective modes of the spin-ensemble, and to retrieve them on-demand. We first present the protocol devised for such a multi-mode quantum memory. We then describe a series of experimental results using NV (as in nitrogen vacancy) center spins in diamond, which demonstrate its main building blocks: the transfer of arbitrary quantum states from a qubit into the spin ensemble, and the multi-mode retrieval of classical microwave pulses down to the single-photon level with a Hahn-echo like sequence. A reset of the spin memory is implemented in-between two successive sequences using optical repumping of the spins.     

Entanglement-assisted quantum logic gates for two remote qubits

We propose a protocol to realize quantum logic gates for two remote qubits via entanglement swapping. According to the scheme of quantum repeater presented by H.-J. Briegel et al., we can complete long-distance communication and computation. Compared with previous schemes through noisy channels, our protocol can overcome the limitation that error probability scales exponentially with the length of the channel. We illustrate this protocol in cavity QED system, but the idea can also be realized in other physical systems.     

Optimization of a quantum tomography protocol for polarization qubits

An operational method has been proposed for estimating the efficiency of quantum cryptography protocols for quantum states with discrete variables. The method is based on the estimate of the quality of the protocol by means of a universal asymptotic distribution of the characteristic of the accuracy of the reconstruction of the quantum state, which is called fidelity. For a specially designed measurement matrix, the condition number, which is minimal for the optimal protocol, is introduced. The method has been tested in a numerical simulation and real experiments with polarization qubits. It has been shown that the optimal choice of a polarization transformer makes it possible to strongly improve the quality of the reconstruction of states.     

Charge qubits and limitations of electrostatic quantum gates

We investigate quantum dot arrays and their application to quantum computation. The arrays analyzed contain a total of a few operating electrons with constant tunneling between the dots. We construct quantum two-level systems near the ground state with a large energy separation to the remainder of the states and with the electrostatic interaction modeled within the capacitance matrix formalism. A set of representative examples is investigated numerically.     

Cloning of qubits of a quantum computer

A system of unitary transformations providing two optimal copies of an arbitrary input cubit is obtained. An algorithm based on classical Boolean algebra and allowing one to find any unitary transformation realized by the quantum CNOT operators is proposed.     

Topological quantum memory interfacing atomic and superconducting qubits

We propose a scheme to manipulate a topological spin qubit which is realized with cold atoms in a one-dimensional optical lattice. In particular, by introducing a quantum opto-electro-mechanical interface, we are able to first transfer a superconducting qubit state to an atomic qubit state and then to store it into the topological spin qubit. In this way, an efficient topological quantum memory could be constructed for the superconducting qubit. Therefore, we can consolidate the advantages of both the noise resistance of the topological qubits and the scalability of the superconducting qubits in this hybrid architecture.     

Transferring quantum entangled states between multiple single-photon-state qubits and coherent-state qubits in circuit QED

We present a way to transfer maximally- or partially-entangled states of n single-photon-state (SPS) qubits onto ncoherent-state (CS) qubits, by employing 2nmicrowave cavities coupled to a superconducting flux qutrit. The two logic states of a SPS qubit here are represented by the vacuum state and the single-photon state of a cavity, while the two logic states of a CS qubit are encoded with two coherent states of a cavity. Because of using only one superconducting qutrit as the coupler, the circuit architecture is significantly simplified. The operation time for the state transfer does not increase with the increasing of the number of qubits. When the dissipation of the system is negligible, the quantum state can be transferred in a deterministic way since no measurement is required. Furthermore, the higher-energy intermediate level of the coupler qutrit is not excited during the entire operation and thus decoherence from the qutrit is greatly suppressed. As a specific example, we numerically demonstrate that the high-fidelity transfer of a Bell state of two SPS qubits onto two CS qubits is achievable within the present-day circuit QED technology. Finally, it is worthy to note that when the dissipation is negligible, entangled states of n CS qubits can be transferred back onto n SPS qubits by performing reverse operations. This proposal is quite general and can be extended to accomplish the same task, by employing a natural or artificial atom to couple 2nmicrowave or optical cavities.     

Controllable coherent population transfers in superconducting qubits for quantum computing

We propose an approach to coherently transfer populations between selected quantum states in one- and two-qubit systems by using controllable Stark-chirped rapid adiabatic passages. These evolution-time insensitive transfers, assisted by easily implementable single-qubit phase-shift operations, could serve as elementary logic gates for quantum computing. Specifically, this proposal could be conveniently demonstrated with existing Josephson phase qubits. Our proposal can find an immediate application in the readout of these qubits. Indeed, the broken parity symmetries of the bound states in these artificial atoms provide an efficient approach to design the required adiabatic pulses.     

Accuracy characteristics for quantum process tomography using superconductor phase qubits

A method for the precision statistical control of quantum processes is developed on the basis of applications of superconductor phase qubits. A detailed analysis of tomographic accuracy for a 2-qubit SQiSW gate arising due to capacitive coupling between qubits is performed by means of universal quantum tomography. The presented approach can be used to solve problems of quality and efficiency in superconductor quantum information technologies.     

Efficient atomic quantum memory for photonic qubits in cavity QED

We investigate a scheme of atomic quantum memory to store photonic qubits of polarization in cavity QED. It is observed that the quantum state swapping between a single-photon pulse and a Λ-type atom can be made via scattering in an optical cavity [T. W. Chen, C. K. Law, P. T. Leung, Phys. Rev. A 69 (2004) 063810]. This swapping operates limitedly in the strong coupling regime for Λ-type atoms with equal dipole couplings. We extend this scheme in cavity QED to present a more feasible and efficient method for quantum memory combined with projective measurement. This method works without requiring such a condition on the dipole couplings. The fidelity is significantly higher than that of the swapping, and even in the moderate coupling regime it reaches almost unity by narrowing sufficiently the photon-pulse spectrum. This high performance is rather unaffected by the atomic loss, cavity leakage or detunings, while a trade-off is paid in the success probability for projective measurement.     

Helical liquids and Majorana bound states in quantum wires

We show that the combination of spin-orbit coupling with a Zeeman field or strong interactions may lead to the formation of a helical electron liquid in single-channel quantum wires, with spin and velocity perfectly correlated. We argue that zero-energy Majorana bound states are formed in various situations when such wires are situated in proximity to a conventional s-wave superconductor. This occurs when the external magnetic field, the superconducting gap, or, most simply, the chemical potential vary along the wire. These Majorana states do not require the presence of a vortex in the system. Experimental consequences of the helical liquid and the Majorana states are also discussed.