Bloch oscillations in a transmon embedded in a resonant electromagnetic environment

  1. Benjamin Remez,
  2. Vladislav D. Kurilovich,
  3. Maximilian Rieger,
  4. and Leonid I. Glazman
Recently developed Josephson junction array transmission lines implement strong-coupling circuit electrodynamics compatible with a range of superconducting quantum devices. They provide
both the high impedance which allows for strong quantum fluctuations, and photon modes with which to probe a quantum device, such as a small Josephson junction. In this high-impedance environment, current through the junction is accompanied by charge Bloch oscillations analogous to those in crystalline systems. However, the interplay between Bloch oscillations and environmental photon resonances remains largely unexplored. Here we describe the Bloch oscillations in a transmon-type qubit attached to high-impedance transmission lines with discrete photon spectra. Transmons are characterized by well-separated charge bands, favoring Bloch oscillations over Landau-Zener tunneling. We find resonances in the voltage–current relation and the spectrum of photons emitted by the Bloch oscillations. The transmon also scatters photons inelastically; we find the cross-section for a novel anti-Stokes-like process whereby photons gain a Bloch oscillation quantum. Our results outline how Bloch oscillations leave fingerprints for experiments across the DC, MHz, and GHz ranges.

Acoustic radiation from a superconducting qubit: From spontaneous emission to Rabi oscillations

  1. Vijay Jain,
  2. Vladislav D. Kurilovich,
  3. Yanni D. Dahmani,
  4. Chan U Lei,
  5. David Mason,
  6. Taekwan Yoon,
  7. Peter T. Rakich,
  8. Leonid I. Glazman,
  9. and Robert J. Schoelkopf
Acoustic spontaneous emission into bulk dielectrics can be a strong source of decoherence in quantum devices, especially when a qubit is in the presence of piezoelectric materials.
We study the dynamics of a qubit coupled to an acoustic resonator by a piezoelectric film. By varying the surface topography of the resonator from rough to polished to shaped, we explore the crossover from fast decay of an excited qubit to quantum-coherent coupling between the qubit and an isolated phonon mode. Our experimental approach may be used for precision measurements of crystalline vibrations, the design of quantum memories, and the study of electro-mechanical contributions to dielectric loss.