Artificial Quantum Systems Research Articles

Construction of topological quantum magnets from atomic spins on surfaces.

Artificial quantum systems have emerged as platforms to realize topological matter in a well-controlled manner. So far, experiments have mostly explored non-interacting topological states, and the realization of many-body topological phases in solid-state platforms with atomic resolution has remained challenging. Here we construct topological quantum Heisenberg spin lattices by assembling spin chains and two-dimensional spin arrays from spin-1/2 Ti atoms on an insulating MgO film in a scanning tunnelling microscope. We engineer both topological and trivial phases of the quantum spin model and thereby realize first- and second-order topological quantum magnets. We probe the many-body excitations of the quantum magnets by single-atom electron spin resonance with an energy resolution better than 100 neV. Making use of the atomically localized magnetic field of the scanning tunnelling microscope tip, we visualize various many-body topological bound modes including topological edge states, topological defects and higher-order corner modes. Our results provide a bottom-up approach for the simulation of exotic quantum many-body phases of interacting spins.

Engineering holography with stabilizer graph codes

The discovery of holographic codes established a surprising connection between quantum error correction and the anti-de Sitter-conformal field theory correspondence. Recent technological progress in artificial quantum systems renders the experimental realization of such holographic codes now within reach. Formulating the hyperbolic pentagon code in terms of a stabilizer graph code, we give gate sequences that are tailored to systems with long-range interactions. We show how to obtain encoding and decoding circuits for the hyperbolic pentagon code, before focusing on a small instance of the holographic code on twelve qubits. Our approach allows to verify holographic properties by partial decoding operations, recovering bulk degrees of freedom from their nearby boundary.

Full Tunability and Quantum Coherent Dynamics of a Driven Multilevel System

Tunability of an artificial quantum system is crucial to its capability to process quantum information. However, tunability usually poses significant demand on the design and fabrication of a device. In this work, we demonstrate that Floquet engineering based on longitudinal driving provides distinct possibilities in enhancing the tunability of a quantum system without needing additional resources. In particular, we study a multilevel model based on gate-defined double quantum dots, where coherent interference occurs when the system is driven longitudinally. We develop an effective model to describe the driven dynamics of this multilevel system, and show that it is highly tunable via the driving field. We then illustrate the versatility and rich physics of a driven multilevel system by exploring phenomena such as driving modulation of resonances, adiabatic state transfer, and dark state. In the context of qubit control, we propose noise-resistant quantum gates based on adiabatic passage. The theoretical consideration we present here is rather general, and is in principle valid for other multilevel quantum systems.

Non-Abelian gauge invariance from dynamical decoupling

Lattice gauge theories are fundamental to such distinct fields as particle physics, condensed matter or quantum information theory. The recent progress in the control of artificial quantum systems already allows for studying Abelian lattice gauge theories in tabletop experiments. However, the realization of non-Abelian models remains challenging. Here, we employ a coherent quantum control scheme to enforce non-Abelian gauge invariance, and discuss this idea in detail for a one-dimensional SU(2) lattice gauge system. We comment on how to extend our scheme to other non-Abelian gauge symmetries and higher spatial dimensions. Because of its wide applicability, the presented coherent control scheme provides a promising route for the quantum simulation of non-Abelian lattice gauge theories.

Diamond-based microwave quantum amplifier

Amplification of weak microwave signals with minimal added noise is of importance to science and technology. Artificial quantum systems, based on superconducting circuits, can now amplify and detect even single microwave photons. However, this requires operating at millikelvin temperatures. Natural quantum systems can also be used for low-noise microwave amplification using stimulated emission effects; however, they generate a higher noise, especially when operating above ~1 K.Here, we demonstrate the use of electron spins in diamond as a quantum microwave amplifier operating with quantum-limited internal noise, even above liquid nitrogen temperatures. We report on the amplifier's design, gain, bandwidth, saturation power, and noise. This capability can lead the way to previously unavailable quantum science, engineering, and physics applications.

Methods for Simulating String-Net States and Anyons on a Digital Quantum Computer

Finding physical realizations of topologically ordered states in experimental settings, from condensed matter to artificial quantum systems, has been the main challenge en route to utilizing their unconventional properties. We show how to realize a large class of topologically ordered states and simulate their quasiparticle excitations on a digital quantum computer. To achieve this we design a set of linear-depth quantum circuits to generate ground states of general string-net models together with unitary open string operators to simulate the creation and braiding of abelian and non-abelian anyons. We show that the abelian (non-abelian) unitary string operators can be implemented with a constant (linear) depth quantum circuit. Our scheme allows us to directly probe characteristic topological properties, including topological entanglement entropy, braiding statistics, and fusion channels of anyons. Moreover, this set of efficiently prepared topologically ordered states has potential applications in the development of fault-tolerant quantum computers.

Multimode photon blockade

Interactions are essential for the creation of correlated quantum many-body states. Although two-body interactions underlie most natural phenomena, three- and four-body interactions are important for the physics of nuclei1, exotic few-body states in ultracold quantum gases2, the fractional quantum Hall effect3, quantum error correction4 and holography5,6. Recently, a number of artificial quantum systems have emerged as simulators for many-body physics, featuring the ability to engineer strong interactions. However, the interactions in these systems have largely been limited to the two-body paradigm and require building up multibody interactions by combining two-body forces. Here we implement a scheme to create a higher-order interaction between photons stored in multiple electromagnetic modes of a microwave cavity. The system is dressed such that there is collectively no interaction until a target total photon number is reached across multiple distinct modes, at which point the photons interact strongly. In our demonstration, we create interactions involving up to three bodies and across up to five modes. We harness the interaction to prepare single-mode Fock states and multimode W states, which we verify by introducing a multimode Wigner tomography method. A method to engineer higher-order interactions between photons provides a route to create non-classical and entangled states across multiple modes.

Quantum Fluctuation Theorem under Quantum Jumps with Continuous Measurement and Feedback.

While the fluctuation theorem in classical systems has been thoroughly generalized under various feedback control setups, an intriguing situation in quantum systems, namely under continuous feedback, remains to be investigated. In this work, we derive the generalized fluctuation theorem under quantum jumps with continuous measurement and feedback. The essence for the derivation is to newly introduce the operationally meaningful information, which we call quantum-classical-transfer (QC-transfer) entropy. QC-transfer entropy can be naturally interpreted as the quantum counterpart of transfer entropy that is commonly used in classical time series analysis. We also verify our theoretical results by numerical simulation and propose an experiment-numerics hybrid verification method. Our work reveals a fundamental connection between quantum thermodynamics and quantum information, which can be experimentally tested with artificial quantum systems such as circuit quantum electrodynamics.

Inverse design approach to x-ray quantum optics with Mössbauer nuclei in thin-film cavities

Thin-film cavities containing layers of M\"ossbauer nuclei have been demonstrated to be a rich platform for x-ray quantum optics. At low excitation, these systems can be described by effective few-level schemes, thereby providing tunable artificial quantum systems at hard x-ray energies. With the recent advent of an ab initio theory, a numerically efficient description of these systems is now possible. On this basis, we introduce the inverse design and develop a comprehensive optimization for an archetypal system with a single resonant layer, corresponding to an artificial two-level scheme. We discover a number of qualitative insights into x-ray photonic environments for nuclei that will likely impact the design of future x-ray cavities and thereby improve their performance. The methods presented readily generalize beyond the two-level case and thus provide a clear perspective towards the inverse design of more advanced tunable x-ray quantum optical level schemes.

Extracting non-Abelian quantum metric tensor and its related Chern numbers

The complete geometry of quantum states in parameter space is characterized by the quantum geometric tensor, which contains the quantum metric and Berry curvature as the real and imaginary parts, respectively. When the quantum states are degenerate, the quantum metric and Berry curvature take non-Abelian forms. The non-Abelian (Abelian) Berry curvature and Abelian quantum metric have been experimentally measured. However, an experimentally feasible scheme to extract all the components of the non-Abelian quantum metric tensor is still lacking. Here we propose a generic protocol to directly extract the non-Abelian quantum metric tensor in arbitrary degenerate quantum states in any dimensional parameter space, based on measuring the transition probabilities after parameter quenches. Furthermore, we show that the non-Abelian quantum metric can be measured to obtain the real Chern number of a generalized Dirac monopole and the second Chern number of a Yang monopole, which can be simulated in three and five-dimensional parameter space of artificial quantum systems, respectively. We also demonstrate the feasibility of our quench scheme for these two applications with numerical simulations.

Ultrafast Coherence Delocalization in Real Space Simulated by Polaritons

AbstractCoherence delocalization has been investigated on a coupled‐cavity molecular polariton platform in time, frequency, and spatial domains, enabled by ultrafast two‐dimensional infrared hyperspectral imaging. Unidirectional coherence delocalization (coherence prepared in one cavity transferred to another cavity) has been observed in frequency and real space. This directionality is enabled by the dissipation of delocalized photon from high‐energy to low‐energy modes, described by Lindblad dynamics. Further experiments show that when coherences are directly prepared between polaritons from different cavities, only energetically nearby polaritons can form coherences that survive the long‐range environmental fluctuation. Together with the Lindblad dynamics, this result implies that coherences delocalize through a one‐step mechanism where photons transfer from one cavity to another, shedding light to coherence evolution in natural and artificial quantum systems. This new optical platform based on molecular vibrational polariton thus demonstrates a way of combining photon and molecular modes to simulate coherence dynamics in the infrared regime.

Floquet engineering flat bands for bosonic fractional quantum Hall with superconducting circuits

The quest to realize novel phases of matter with topological order is an important pursuit with implications for strongly correlated physics and quantum information. Utilizing ideas from state-of-the-art coherent control of artificial quantum systems such as superconducting circuits, we present a proposal to realize bosonic fractional quantum Hall physics on small lattices by creating nearly flat topological bands using staggered flux patterns. Fingerprints of fractionalization through charge pumping can be observed with nearly perfect quantization using as few as 24 lattice sites (two photons). We suggest an implementation using a finite lattice of superconducting qubits with cylindrical connectivity on both triangular and square lattices.

Fundamental Models in the Light–Matter Interaction: Quantum Phase Transitions and the Polaron Picture

AbstractThe light–matter interaction not only is ubiquitous in nature but also can be simulated in various artificial systems. Besides the tunability of artificial quantum systems, the experimental access to the ultra‐strong and even deep‐strong couplings has brought a regime with novel phenomenology. Theoretically the finding of the integrability for the quantum Rabi model (QRM) has attracted tremendous attention to the study of the QRM and its extensions which are fundamental models of the light–matter interaction. With the continuing enhancements of coupling strengths, a most fascinating phenomenon of these light–matter models is that they can exhibit few‐body quantum phase transitions (QPTs), while a full understanding of these QPTs is a challenge. The polaron picture is a method capable of analyzing these fundamental models in the entire coupling regime and extracting the essential physics behind the QPTs. A review of its extensive applications on the fundamental light–matter models is presented, with discussions on the phase diagrams and QPT‐related features. The universality of critical exponent of the anisotropic QRM as well as the possibility of QPTs in A2 terms are also addressed.

Universal Nonadiabatic Control of Small-Gap Superconducting Qubits

Resonant transverse driving of a two-level system as viewed in the rotating frame couples two degenerate states at the Rabi frequency, an amazing equivalence that emerges in quantum mechanics. While spectacularly successful at controlling natural and artificial quantum systems, certain limitations may arise (e.g., the achievable gate speed) due to non-idealities like the counter-rotating term. Here, we explore a complementary approach to quantum control based on non-resonant, non-adiabatic driving of a longitudinal parameter in the presence of a fixed transverse coupling. We introduce a superconducting composite qubit (CQB), formed from two capacitively coupled transmon qubits, which features a small avoided crossing -- smaller than the environmental temperature -- between two energy levels. We control this low-frequency CQB using solely baseband pulses, non-adiabatic transitions, and coherent Landau-Zener interference to achieve fast, high-fidelity, single-qubit operations with Clifford fidelities exceeding $99.7\%$. We also perform coupled qubit operations between two low-frequency CQBs. This work demonstrates that universal non-adiabatic control of low-frequency qubits is feasible using solely baseband pulses.

Testing the quantization of electromagnetic field in a quarter-wavelength transmission line resonator by traveling-wave scattering measurements

A half-wavelength cavity, wherein the electromagnetic field is quantized as standing-wave photons, is a typical artificial quantum system that has widely been used to implement quantum information processing. In this paper, we propose an approach to confirm the quantization of the electromagnetic field in another type of cavity, namely, a quarter-wavelength transmission line resonator (TLR), by using traveling-photon scattering measurements. Furthermore, we show that the number of photons in a TLR can be destructively detected by using the usual IQ-mixed technique. We hope that quarter-wavelength TLRs may also serve as quantum devices to implement on-chip solid-state quantum information processing.

Tunable quantum switcher and router of single atoms using localized artificial magnetic fields

We propose to generate localized artificial magnetic fields using two thin Raman laser beams intersected at a narrow region of a two-leg ladder, where the frequency difference must approximately match the energy offset between the two legs. Based on this method, we investigate the single-atom transport in a two-leg ladder with only two rungs, which, together with the legs, enclose a localized artificial magnetic flux. Here, the atoms on the two legs (channels) possess different onsite energies that produce another energy offset. We find that the atom incoming from the left channel can experience from blockade to transparency via modifying the onsite energy, tunneling strength, or magnetic flux, which can be potentially used for a quantum switcher. Furthermore, the atom incoming from the left channel can also be perfectly routed into the right leg, when, intriguingly, the outgoing atom in the right channel possesses a quasimomentum that can be modulated by the magnetic flux. The result may be potentially used for the interface that controls the communication between two individual quantum devices of cold atoms. The method can also be generalized to other artificial quantum systems, such as superconducting quantum circuit systems, optical systems, etc.2 MoreReceived 10 April 2020Accepted 19 August 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.033484Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasCoherent controlScattering theoryAtomic, Molecular & OpticalQuantum Information

Engineering long spin coherence times of spin-orbit qubits in silicon.

Electron-spin qubits have long coherence times suitable for quantum technologies. Spin-orbit coupling promises to greatly improve spin qubit scalability and functionality, allowing qubit coupling via photons, phonons or mutual capacitances, and enabling the realization of engineered hybrid and topological quantum systems. However, despite much recent interest, results to date have yielded short coherence times (from 0.1 to 1 μs). Here we demonstrate ultra-long coherence times of 10 ms for holes where spin-orbit coupling yields quantized total angular momentum. We focus on holes bound to boron acceptors in bulk silicon 28, whose wavefunction symmetry can be controlled through crystal strain, allowing direct control over the longitudinal electric dipole that causes decoherence. The results rival the best electron-spin qubits and are 104 to 105 longer than previous spin-orbit qubits. These results open a pathway to develop new artificial quantum systems and to improve the functionality and scalability of spin-based quantum technologies.

On the Propagation of Short Electromagnetic Pulses through Quantum Metamaterials

In this paper, we analyse the propagation of a short light pulse through a 1D quantum metamaterial structure, composed of arranged artificial two-level quantum systems. We set up the model which material substance is treated quantum mechanically, while the electromagnetic pulse is classical. On the basis of the adopted model, we investigate the short light pulse propagation through the structure in dependence on the initial state of irradiated two-level systems, the amplitude of the incident light pulse, and the frequency of the pulse carrier wave. Finally, we determine the regimes when the incident pulse can propagate in undistorted soliton form.

Generating synthetic magnetism via Floquet engineering auxiliary qubits in phonon-cavity-based lattice

Gauge magnetic fields have a close relation to breaking time-reversal symmetry in condensed matter. In the presence of the gauge fields, we might observe nonreciprocal and topological transport. Inspired by these, there is a growing effort to realize exotic transport phenomena in optical and acoustic systems. However, due to charge neutrality, realizing analog magnetic flux for phonons in nanoscale systems is still challenging in both theoretical and experimental studies. Here we propose a novel mechanism to generate synthetic magnetic field for phonon lattice by Floquet engineering auxiliary qubits. We find that, a longitudinal Floquet drive on the qubit will produce a resonant coupling between two detuned acoustic cavities. Specially, the phase encoded into the longitudinal drive can exactly be transformed into the phonon–phonon hopping. Our proposal is general and can be realized in various types of artificial hybrid quantum systems. Moreover, by taking surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) cavities for example, we propose how to generate synthetic magnetic flux for phonon transport. In the presence of synthetic magnetic flux, the time-reversal symmetry will be broken, which allows one to realize the circulator transport and analog Aharonov–Bohm effects for acoustic waves. Last, we demonstrate that our proposal can be scaled to simulate topological states of matter in quantum acoustodynamics system.

Nonlocal Josephson Effect in Andreev Molecules.

We propose the "Andreev molecule," an artificial quantum system composed of two closely spaced Josephson junctions. The coupling between Josephson junctions in an Andreev molecule occurs through the overlap and hybridization of the junction's "atomic" orbitals, Andreev Bound States. A striking consequence is that the supercurrent flowing through one junction depends on the superconducting phase difference across the other junction. Using the Bogolubiov-de-Gennes formalism, we derive the energy spectrum and nonlocal current-phase relation for arbitrary separation. We demonstrate the possibility of creating a φ-junction and propose experiments to verify our predictions. Andreev molecules may have potential applications in quantum information, metrology, sensing, and molecular simulation.