We show how to use two-mode squeezed light to exponentially enhance cavity-based dispersive qubit measurement. Our scheme enables true Heisenberg-limited scaling of the measurement,and crucially, is not restricted to small dispersive couplings or unrealistically long measurement times. It involves coupling a qubit dispersively to two cavities, and making use of a symmetry in the dynamics of joint cavity quadratures (a so-called quantum-mechanics free subspace). We discuss the basic scaling of the scheme and its robustness against imperfections, as well as a realistic implementation in circuit quantum electrodynamics.
Photon-mediated interactions between atoms are of fundamental importance in quantum optics, quantum simulations and quantum information processing. The exchange of real and virtualphotons between atoms gives rise to non-trivial interactions the strength of which decreases rapidly with distance in three dimensions. Here we study much stronger photon mediated interactions using two superconducting qubits in an open onedimensional transmission line. Making use of the unique possibility to tune these qubits by more than a quarter of their transition frequency we observe both coherent exchange interactions at an effective separation of 3λ/4 and the creation of super- and sub-radiant states at a separation of one photon wavelength λ. This system is highly suitable for exploring collective atom/photon interactions and applications in quantum communication technology.
Dissipation-driven quantum state engineering uses the environment to steer the state of quantum systems and preserve quantum coherence in the steady state. We show that modulating thedamping rate of a microwave resonator generates a new squeezing mechanism that creates a vacuum squeezed state of arbitrary squeezing strength, thereby allowing perfect squeezing. Given the recent experimental realizations in circuit QED of a microwave resonator with a tunable damping rate [Yin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 107001 (2013)], superconducting circuits are an ideal playground to implement this technique. By dispersively coupling a qubit to the microwave resonator, it is possible to obtain qubit-state dependent squeezing.
Motivated by recent experimental progress to measure and manipulate Majorana fermions with superconducting circuits, we propose a device interfacing Majorana fermions with circuit quantumelectrodynamics. The proposed circuit acts as a charge parity detector changing the resonance frequency of a superconducting \lambda/4 – resonator conditioned on the parity of charges on nearby gates. Operating at both charge and flux sweet-spots, this device is highly insensitive to environmental noise and enables high-fidelity single-shot quantum non-demolition readout of the state of a pair of Majorana fermions. Additionally, the interaction permits the realization of an arbitrary phase gate on the topological qubit, closing the loop for computational completeness. Away from the charge sweet-spot, this device can be used as a highly sensitive charge detector with a sensitivity smaller than 10^{-4} e / \sqrt{Hz} and bandwidth larger than 1 MHz.
We study the collective effects that emerge in waveguide quantum electrodynamics where several (artificial) atoms are coupled to a one-dimensional (1D) superconducting transmissionline. Since single microwave photons can travel without loss for a long distance along the line, real and virtual photons emitted by one atom can be reabsorbed or scattered by a second atom. Depending on the distance between the atoms, this collective effect can lead to super- and subradiance or to a coherent exchange-type interaction between the atoms. Changing the artificial atoms transition frequencies, something which can be easily done with superconducting qubits (two levels artificial atoms), is equivalent to changing the atom-atom separation and thereby opens the possibility to study the characteristics of these collective effects. To study this waveguide quantum electrodynamics system, we extend previous work and present an effective master equation valid for an ensemble of inhomogeneous atoms. Using input-output theory, we compute analytically and numerically the elastic and inelastic scattering and show how these quantities reveal information about collective effects. These theoretical results are compatible with recent experimental results using transmon qubits coupled to a superconducting one-dimensional transmission line [A.F. van Loo {\it et al.} (2013)].
We demonstrate rapid, first-order sideband transitions between a
superconducting resonator and a frequency-modulated transmon qubit. The qubit
contains a substantial asymmetry betweenits Josephson junctions leading to a
linear portion of the energy band near the resonator frequency. The sideband
transitions are driven with a magnetic flux signal of a few hundred MHz coupled
to the qubit. This modulates the qubit splitting at a frequency near the
detuning between the dressed qubit and resonator frequencies, leading to rates
up to 85 MHz for exchanging quanta between the qubit and resonator.
Sideband transitions have been shown to generate controllable interaction
between superconducting qubits and microwave resonators. Up to now, these
transitions have been implementedwith voltage drives on the qubit or the
resonator, with the significant disadvantage that such implementations only
lead to second-order sideband transitions. Here we propose an approach to
achieve first-order sideband transitions by relying on controlled oscillations
of the qubit frequency using a flux-bias line. Not only can first-order
transitions be significantly faster, but the same technique can be employed to
implement other tunable qubit-resonator and qubit-qubit interactions. We
discuss in detail how such first-order sideband transitions can be used to
implement a high fidelity controlled-NOT operation between two transmons
coupled to the same resonator.