Preparation of multi-photon Fock states and quantum entanglement properties in circuit QED

We demonstrate the controllable generation of multi-photon Fock states in circuit quantum electrodynamics （circuit QED）. The external bias flux regulated by a counter can effectively adjust the bias time on each superconducting flux qubit so that each flux qubit can pass in turn through the circuit cavity and thereby avoid the effect of decoherence. We further investigate the quantum correlation dynamics of coupling superconducting qubits in a Fock state. The results reveal that the lower the photon number of the light field in the number state, the stronger the interaction between qubits is, then the more beneficial to maintaining entanglement between qubits it will be.     

Simultaneous implementation of n SWAP gates using superconducting charge qubits coupled to a cavity

Based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) coupled to a cavity, we propose a scheme for implementing n SWAP gates simultaneously. In our scheme, the SQUID works in the charge regime, the quantum logic gate operations are performed in the subspace spanned by two charge states |0〉 and |1〉. The interaction between the qubits and the cavity field can be achieved by turning the gate voltage and the external flux. Especially, the gate operation time is independent of the number of the qubits, and the gate operation is insensitive to the initial state of the cavity mode. We also analyze the experimental feasibility that the conditions of the large detuning can be achieved by adjusting the frequency of the cavity mode, and the operation time satisfies the requirement for the designed experiment by choosing suitable detuning and the quality factor of the cavity. Based on the simple operation, our scheme may be realized in this solid-state system, and our idea may be realized in other systems.     

Controllable coupling between flux qubits

We propose an experimentally realizable method to control the coupling between two flux qubits. In our proposal, the bias fluxes are always fixed for these two inductively coupled qubits. The detuning of these two qubits can be initially chosen to be sufficiently large, so that their initial interbit coupling is almost negligible. When a variable frequency or time-dependent magnetic flux (TDMF) is applied to one of the qubits, a well-chosen frequency of the TDMF can be used to compensate the initial detuning and to couple two qubits. This proposed method avoids fast changes of either qubit frequencies or the amplitudes of the bias magnetic fluxes through the qubit loops, and also offers a remarkable way to implement any logic gate, as well as tomographically measure flux qubit states.     

A proposal for the realization of universal quantum gates via superconducting qubits inside a cavity

A family of quantum logic gates is proposed via superconducting (SC) qubits coupled to a SC-cavity. The Hamiltonian for SC-charge qubits inside a single mode cavity is considered. Three- and two-qubit operations are generated by applying a classical magnetic field with the flux. Therefore, a number of quantum logic gates are realized. Numerical simulations and calculation of the fidelity are used to prove the success of these operations for these gates.     

Observation of excitation in asymmetric flux qubits coupled inductively

We measured magnetic flux produced by coupled flux qubits with a switching current measurement of a DC-SQUID. Both the circulating currents and the SQUID–qubit coupling were designed to be asymmetric. The experimental result exhibits a broad peak and dip, and does not agree with the thermally averaged magnetic flux calculated with the two qubit Hamiltonian. This disagreement can be explained in terms of nonthermal excitation of the coupled qubits, which is probably caused by the microwaves generated by the DC-SQUID in the voltage state.     

Controllably Coupling Superconducting Charge and Flux Qubits by Using Nanomechanical Resonator

We propose an effective mechanism to couple superconducting charge and flux qubits by using a quantized nanomechanical resonator. The coupling between the charge and flux qubits can be controlled by the external flux of the charge qubit. Under the strong coupling limit, an iSWAP gate can be generated by this scheme. The experimental feasibility in our scheme is also presented.     

Magnetic phase shifter for superconducting qubits

We have designed and investigated a contactless magnetic phase shifter for flux-based superconducting qubits. The phase shifter is realized by placing a perpendicularly magnetized dot at the center of a superconducting loop. The flux generated by this magnetic dot gives rise to an additional shielding current in the loop and induces a phase shift. By modifying the parameters of the dot an arbitrary phase shift can be generated in the loop. This magnetic phase shifter can, therefore, be used as an external current source in superconducting circuits, as well as a suitable tool to study fractional Josephson vortices.     

Vertical Josephson interferometers for quantum computation

We characterize a niobium-based vertical Josephson interferometer which we propose to include in a superconducting loop for applications to quantum computation using flux qubits. The most interesting feature of this device is that the Josephson current is precisely modulated by a small transversal magnetic field parallel to superconducting loop plane from a maximum to zero, with fine control and precision. This device can be used to independently control the off-diagonal Hamiltonian terms of flux qubits and/or to control the flux transfer function of a superconducting transformer for inter-qubits coupling.     

Dephasing of a superconducting flux qubit

In order to gain a better understanding of the origin of decoherence in superconducting flux qubits, we have measured the magnetic field dependence of the characteristic energy relaxation time (T(1)) and echo phase relaxation time (T(2)(echo)) near the optimal operating point of a flux qubit. We have measured T(2)(echo) by means of the phase cycling method. At the optimal point, we found the relation T(2)(echo) approximately 2T(1). This means that the echo decay time is limited by the energy relaxation (T(1) process). Moving away from the optimal point, we observe a linear increase of the phase relaxation rate (1/T(2)(echo)) with the applied external magnetic flux. This behavior can be well explained by the influence of magnetic flux noise with a 1/f spectrum on the qubit.     

Multipartite entanglement in the interaction system between a single-mode microwave cavity field and superconducting charge qubits

This paper proposes a method of generating multipartite entanglement through using d.c. superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID) inside a standing wave cavity. In this scheme, the d.c. SQUID works in the charge region. It is shown that, a large number of important multipartite entangled states can be generated by a controllable interaction between a cavity field and qubits. It is even possible to produce entangled states involving different cavity modes based on the measurement of charge qubits states. After such superpositions states are created, the interaction can be switched off by the classical magnetic field through the SQUID, and there is no information transfer between the cavity field and the charge qubits.     

Entangling two uncoupled flux qubits via their sequential interaction with a quantized electromagnetic field

A theoretical scheme for the generation of maximally entangled states of two superconducting flux qubits via their sequential interaction with a monochromatic quantum field is presented. The coupling of the qubits with the quantized field can be tuned on and off resonance by modulating the effective Josephson energy of each qubit via an externally applied magnetic flux. The system operates in such a way as to transfer the entanglement from a bipartite field-qubit subsystem to the two qubits. This scheme is attractive in view of the implementation of practical quantum processing systems.     

Delayed creation of entanglement in superconducting qubits interacting with a microwave field

We explore the role played by the intrinsic decoherence in superconducting charge qubits in the presence of a microwave field applied as a magnetic flux. We study how the delayed creation of entanglement, which is opposite to the sudden death of entanglement, can be induced. We compute the time evolution of the population inversion, total correlation and entanglement, taking into account the junction mixed state and dissipation of the cavity field. We show that although decoherence destroys the correlation of the junction and field, information of the initial state may be obtained via quasi-probability distribution functions.     

Coupling nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond to superconducting flux qubits

We propose a method to achieve coherent coupling between nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond and superconducting (SC) flux qubits. The resulting coupling can be used to create a coherent interaction between the spin states of distant NV centers mediated by the flux qubit. Furthermore, the magnetic coupling can be used to achieve a coherent transfer of quantum information between the flux qubit and an ensemble of NV centers. This enables a long-term memory for a SC quantum processor and possibly an interface between SC qubits and light.     

Unconventional Geometric Phase-Shift Gates Based on Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices Coupled to a Single-Mode Cavity

We present a scheme to realize geometric phase-shift gate for two superconducting quantum interference device （SQUID） qubits coupled to a single-mode microwave field. The geometric phase-shift gate operation is performed in two lower flux states, and the excited state [2〉 would not participate in the procedure. The SQUIDs undergo no transitions during the gate operation. Thus, the docoherence due to energy spontaneous emission based on the levels of SQUIDs are suppressed. The gate is insensitive to the cavity decay throughout the operation since the cavity mode is displaced along a circle in the phase space, acquiring a phase conditional upon the two lower flux states of the SQUID qubits, and the cavity mode is still in the original vacuum state. Based on the SQUID qubits interacting with the cavity mode, our proposed approach may open promising prospects for quantum iogic in SQUID-system.     

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.     

1.3 GHz超导腔磁通排出效应研究

设计并搭建了一套高精度的磁场测量和补偿系统,并结合中国科学院高能物理研究所(IHEP)的2K超导腔垂直测试平台对1.3 GHz单加速间隙超导腔的磁通排出效应开展了实验研究:利用研制的磁场测量和补偿系统能够精密地测量超导腔赤道位置磁场,并能够将磁场补偿至小于5.0×10-8 T;并对超导腔不同表面温度梯度下的磁通排出效应进行了测量分析;对钉扎了磁场的超导腔进行了射频性能测试,研究了超导腔电阻对磁通钉扎的敏感度,以及在不同电场梯度下超导腔的表面电阻变化情况。结果表明,研制的高精度磁场测量和补偿系统能够满足超导腔磁通排出研究的需求;高的超导腔表面温度梯度有利于磁通的排出;磁通钉扎电阻的敏感度随着加速电场梯度的增加而增大,导致超导腔的性能下降。此实验研究也为后续超导腔的研制奠定了一定基础。     

Nanoscale superconducting quantum bits

Various physical systems were proposed for quantum information processing. Among those nanoscale devices appear most promising for integration in electronic circuits and large-scale applications. We discuss Josephson junction circuits in two regimes where they can be used for quantum computing. These systems combine intrinsic coherence of the superconducting state with control possibilities of single-charge circuits. In the regime where the typical charging energy dominates over the Josephson coupling, the low-temperature dynamics is limited to two states differing by a Cooper-pair charge on a superconducting island. In the opposite regime of prevailing Josephson energy, the phase (or flux) degree of freedom can be used to store and process quantum information. Under suitable conditions the system reduces to two states with different flux configurations. Several qubits can be joined together into a register. The quantum state of a qubit register can be manipulated by voltage and magnetic field pulses. The qubits are inevitably coupled to the environment. However, estimates of the phase coherence time show that many elementary quantum logic operations can be performed before the phase coherence is lost. In addition to manipulations, the final state of the qubits has to be read out. This quantum measurement process can be accomplished using a single-electron transistor for charge Josephson qubits, and a d.c.-SQUID for flux qubits. Recent successful experiments with superconducting qubits demonstrate for the first time quantum coherence in macroscopic systems.     

Spectroscopy and coherent manipulation of single and coupled flux qubits

Measurements of three-junction flux qubits, both single flux qubits and coupled flux qubits, using a coupled direct current superconducting quantum interference device （dc-SQUID） for readout are reported. The measurement procedure is described in detail. We performed spectroscopy measurements and coherent manipulations of the qubit states on a single flux qubit, demonstrating quantum energy levels and Rabi oscillations, with Rabi oscillation decay time TRabi =- 78 ns and energy relaxation time T~ = 315 ns. We found that the value of TRabi depends strongly on the mutual inductance between the qubit and the magnetic coil. We also performed spectroscopy measurements on inductively coupled flux qubits.     

Entanglement of Non-symmetric Two Charge Qubits Induced by a Damped Cavity

Two charge qubits being coupled to a damped cavity with different couplings are considered. The dynamical evolution of the entanglement between the two qubits is demonstrated analytically or numerically. It is found that with the cavity dissipation, the steady entanglement between the two qubits can be achieved. The two qubits being initially in the separable and most mixed state can be easily induced to a steady entangled state, and the relative difference of the couplings can be used to enhance the steady entanglement between the two charge qubits.     

内禀退相干下海森伯XY模型中的热纠缠性质及其相干调控

通过求解系统的Milburn方程,研究了内禀退相干下两比特海森伯XY模型中的热纠缠性质. 讨论了非均匀磁场、系统初始纠缠度、 两比特的相对相位对系统热纠缠的调控作用.结果表明:在系统一定的初始条件下, 磁场的引入能够大大提高两比特间的热纠缠 程度;在固有退相干存在的情况下,系统热纠缠强烈依赖于两个自旋比特的初始态, 通过控制两自旋比特的相对相位和振幅,可以 获得系统的稳定热纠缠.结果还表明:在没有外界磁场时,发现Bell正交态是系统的"暗态", 它的热纠缠度在演化过程中不受系 统内禀退相干的影响.