Latest Papers

Temporal fluctuations in the superconducting qubit lifetime, $T_1$, bring up additional challenges in building a fault-tolerant quantum computer. While the exact mechanisms remain unclear, $T_1$ fluctuations are generally attributed to the strong coupling between the qubit and a few near-resonant two-level systems (TLSs) that can exchange energy with an assemble of thermally fluctuating two-level fluctuators (TLFs) at low frequencies. Here, we report $T_1$ measurements on the qubits with different geometrical footprints and surface dielectrics as a function of the temperature. By analyzing the noise spectrum of the qubit depolarization rate, $Γ_1 = 1/T_1$, we can disentangle the impact of TLSs, non-equilibrium quasiparticles (QPs), and equilibrium (thermally excited) QPs on the variance in $Γ_1$. We find that $Γ_1$ variances in the qubit with a small footprint are more susceptible to the QP and TLS fluctuations than those in the large-footprint qubits. Furthermore, the QP-induced variances in all qubits are consistent with the theoretical framework of QP diffusion and fluctuation. We suggest these findings can offer valuable insights for future qubit design and engineering optimization.

This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of superconducting qubit components from titanium nitride (TiN) and aluminum nitride (AlN) layers to create Josephson junctions and superconducting resonators in an all-nitride architecture. Our methodology comprises a complete process flow for the fabrication of TiN/AlN/TiN junctions, characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), ellipsometry and DC electrical measurements. We evaluated the sputtering rates of AlN under varied conditions, the critical temperatures of TiN thin films for different sputtering environments, and the internal quality factors of TiN resonators in the few-GHz regime, fabricated from these films. Overall, this offered insights into the material properties critical to qubit performance. Measurements of the dependence of the critical current of the TiN / AlN / TiN junctions yielded values ranging from 150 $μ$A to 2 $μ$A, for AlN barrier thicknesses up to ca. 5 nm, respectively. Our findings demonstrate advances in the fabrication of nitride-based superconducting qubit components, which may find applications in quantum computing technologies based on novel materials.

A ring of capacitively coupled transmons threaded by a synthetic magnetic field is studied as a realization of a strongly interacting bosonic system. The synthetic flux is imparted through a specific Floquet modulation scheme based on a suitable periodic sequence of Lorentzian pulses that are known as 'Levitons'. Such scheme has the advantage to preserve the translation invariance of the system and to work at the qubit sweet spots. We employ this system to demonstrate the concept of fractional values of flux quanta. Although such fractionalization phenomenon was originally predicted for bright solitons in cold atoms, it may be in fact challenging to access with that platform. Here, we show how fractional flux quanta can be read out in the absorption spectrum of a suitable 'scattering experiment' in which the qubit ring is driven by microwaves.

This study presents the design, simulation, and experimental characterization of a superconducting transmon qubit circuit prototype for potential applications in dark matter detection experiments. We describe a planar circuit design featuring two non-interacting transmon qubits, one with fixed frequency and the other flux tunable. Finite-element simulations were employed to extract key Hamiltonian parameters and optimize component geometries. The qubit was fabricated and then characterized at $20$ mK, allowing for a comparison between simulated and measured qubit parameters. Good agreement was found for transition frequencies and anharmonicities (within 1\% and 10\% respectively) while coupling strengths exhibited larger discrepancies (30\%). We discuss potential causes for measured coherence times falling below expectations ($T_1\sim\,$1-2 \textmu s) and propose strategies for future design improvements. Notably, we demonstrate the application of a hybrid 3D-2D simulation approach for energy participation ratio evaluation, yielding a more accurate estimation of dielectric losses. This work represents an important first step in developing planar Quantum Non-Demolition (QND) single-photon counters for dark matter searches, particularly for axion and dark photon detection schemes.

The time-evolution operator corresponding to the fractional-time Schrödinger equation is nonunitary because it fails to preserve the norm of the vector state in the course of its evolution. However, in the context of the time-dependent non-Hermitian quantum formalism applied to the time-fractional dynamics, it has been demonstrated that a unitary evolution can be achieved for a traceless two-level Hamiltonian. This is accomplished by considering a dynamical Hilbert space embedding a time-dependent metric operator concerning which the system unitarily evolves in time. This allows for a suitable description of a quantum system consistent with the standard quantum mechanical principles. In this work, we investigate the Jaynes-Cummings model in the fractional-time scenario taking into account the fractional-order parameter $α$ and its effect in unitary quantum dynamics. We analyze the well-known dynamical properties, such as the atomic population inversion and the atom-field entanglement, when the atom starts in its excited state and the field in a coherent state.

Fast and accurate qubit measurement remains a critical challenge on the path to fault-tolerant quantum computing. In superconducting quantum circuits, fast qubit measurement has been achieved using a dispersively coupled resonator with a large external linewidth. This necessitates the use of a Purcell filter that protects the qubit from relaxation through the readout channel. Here we show that a readout resonator and filter resonator, coupled to each other both capacitively and inductively, can produce a compact notch-filter circuit that effectively eliminates the Purcell decay channel through destructive interference. By utilizing linewidths as large as 42 MHz, we perform 56-ns simultaneous readout of four qubits and benchmark an average assignment fidelity of 99.77%, with the highest qubit assignment fidelity exceeding 99.9%. These results demonstrate a significant advancement in speed and fidelity for multiplexed superconducting qubit readout.

Open quantum systems are susceptible to losses in information, energy, and particles due to their surrounding environment. One novel strategy to mitigate these losses is to transform them into advantages for quantum technologies through tailored non-Hermitian quantum systems. In this work, we theoretically propose a fast generation of multipartite entanglement in non-Hermitian qubits. Our findings reveal that weakly coupled non-Hermitian qubits can accelerate multiparty entanglement generation by thousands of times compared to Hermitian qubits, in particular when approaching the $2^n$-th order exceptional points of $n$ qubits in the ${\cal P}{\cal T}-$ symmetric regime. Furthermore, we show that Hermitian qubits can generate GHZ states with a high fidelity more than $0.9995$ in a timescale comparable to that of non-Hermitian qubits, but at the expense of intense driving and large coupling constant. Our approach is scalable to a large number of qubits, presenting a promising pathway for advancing quantum technologies through the non-Hermiticity and higher-order exceptional points in many-body quantum systems.

We report temperature measurements using a transmon qubit by detecting the population of its first three energy levels, after applying a sequence of $π$-pulses and performing projective dispersive readout. We measure the effective temperature of the qubit and characterize its relaxation and coherence times $τ_{1,2}$ for three devices in the temperature range of $20-300$ mK. We analyze the process of qubit thermalization to its effective environment consisting of multiple heat baths and support it with experimental data. Signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio of the temperature measurement depends strongly on $τ_1$, which drops at higher temperatures due to quasiparticle excitations, adversely affecting the measurements and setting an upper bound of the dynamic temperature range of the thermometer. The measurement relies on coherent dynamics of the qubit during the $π$-pulses. The effective qubit temperature follows closely that of the cryostat in the range of $100 - 250$ mK. We present a numerical model of the qubit population distribution and compare it favorably with the experimental results. Finally, we compare our technique with previous works on qubit thermometry and discuss its application prospects.

We present a study on manipulation and enhancement of multiphoton bundles emission under a moderate atom-cavity coupling, by constructing a two-photon Jaynes-Cummings model integrated with Kerr nonlinearity in a single atom-cavity system. We show that the vacuum-Rabi splittings for the $n$th dressed states can be significantly enhanced by Kerr interaction. This remarkable enhancement in energy-spectrum anharmonicity with the well-resolved multiphoton resonance facilitates the generation of special nonclassical states beyond the strong-coupling limit in the experiment. In particular, both two- and three-photon blockades are observed with adjusting the amplitude of the cavity-driving or atom-pump fields. Moreover, we discover that transitions between two- and three-photon bundles can be achieved through tuning the atom-cavity detuning or Kerr nonlinearity. It further showcases the three-photon blockade is substantially strengthened when both the cavity and atomic fields are jointly driven. Our proposal unveils a pathway for realizing highly controllable nonclassical states and quantum devices with combining two-photon Jaynes-Cummings interactions and Kerr nonlinearity, which may pave the way for versatile applications in quantum information science, e.g., all-optical switches and transistors.

Superconducting qubits hold promise for quantum computing, but their operation is challenged by various sources of noise, including excitations known as quasiparticles. Qubits with gap asymmetry larger than their transition energy are less susceptible to quasiparticle decoherence as the quasiparticles are mostly trapped in the low-gap side of the junction. Because of this trapping, the gap asymmetry can contribute to maintaining the quasiparticles out of equilibrium. Here we address the temperature dependence of the quasiparticle densities in the two sides of the junction. We show that four qualitatively different regimes are possible with increasing temperature: i) nonequilibrium, ii) local quasiequilibrium, iii) global quasiequilibrium, and iv) full equilibrium. We identify shortcomings in assuming global quasiequilibrium when interpreting experimental data, highlighting how measurements in the presence of magnetic field can aid the accurate determination of the junction parameters, and hence the identification of the nonequilibrium regimes.

Superconducting quantum computing emerges as one of leading candidates for achieving quantum advantage. However, a prevailing challenge is the coding overhead due to limited quantum connectivity, constrained by nearest-neighbor coupling among superconducting qubits. Here, we propose a novel multimode coupling scheme using three resonators driven by two microwaves, based on the resonator-induced phase gate, to extend the $ZZ$ interaction distance between qubits. We demonstrate a CZ gate fidelity exceeding 99.9\% within 160 ns at free spectral range (FSR) of 1.4 GHz, and by optimizing driving pulses, we further reduce the residual photon to nearly $10^{-3}$ within 100 ns at FSR of 0.2 GHz. These facilitate the long-range CZ gate over separations reaching sub-meters, thus significantly enhancing qubit connectivity and making a practical step towards the scalable integration and modularization of quantum processors. Specifically, our approach supports the implementation of quantum error correction codes requiring high connectivity, such as low-density parity check codes that paves the way to achieving fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) studies the interaction between resonator-confined radiation and natural atoms or other formally equivalent quantum excitations, under conditions where the quantum nature of photons is relevant. Phenomena studied in cavity QED can also be explored using superconducting artificial atoms and microwave photons in superconducting resonators. These circuit QED systems offer the possibility to reach the ultrastrong coupling regime with individual artificial atoms, unlike their natural counterparts. In this regime, the light-matter coupling strength reaches a considerable fraction of the bare resonance frequencies in the system. Here, we provide a careful analysis of both incoherent and coherent spectra in circuit QED systems consisting of a flux qubit interacting with an LC resonator. Despite these systems can be effectively described by the quantum Rabi model, as the corresponding cavity QED ones, we find distinctive features, depending on how the system is coupled to the output port, which become evident in the ultrastrong coupling regime.

The interaction between atoms and a quantized radiation field is fundamentally important in quantum optics and quantum information science. Due to their unusual properties, Rydberg atoms are promising building blocks for two-qubit gates and atom-light quantum interfaces, exploiting the Rydberg blockade interaction, which prevents two atoms at close distance from being simultaneously excited to Rydberg states. Recently, this effect was used to engineer quantum processors based on arrays of interacting Rydberg atoms illuminated by Raman lasers. Motivated by these experiments, we extend the Jaynes-Cummings model to study the interaction between two Rydberg atoms interacting by the Rydberg blockade and a quantized radiation field. We consider both number (Fock) states of the field and single-mode quantum coherent states. In particular, we discuss different types of entanglements between various components of the total system consisting of the two Rydberg-interacting atoms and coherent states of the field, and show that the behavior is significantly different compared to a system with non-interacting atoms corresponding to the two-atom Tavis-Cummings model. Our results are relevant in view of atom-light quantum interfaces as components for future long-distance quantum communication.

A major challenge for scaling up superconducting quantum computers is unwanted couplings between qubits, which lead to always-on ZZ couplings that impact gate fidelities by shifting energy levels conditional on qubit states. To tackle this challenge, we introduce analytical and numerical techniques, including a diagrammatic perturbation theory and a state-assignment algorithm. Together, these tools enable us to explain the emergence of ZZ coupling in three linked pictures, where each picture tells us more about the underlying mechanisms creating the ZZ coupling. These pictures generalize previous efforts, which focused on specific setups and a single mechanism. The deeper understanding that we provide of the mechanisms behind the ZZ coupling facilitate finding parameter regions of weak and strong ZZ coupling. We showcase our techniques for a system consisting of two fixed-frequency transmon qubits connected by a flux-tunable transmon coupler. There, we find three types of parameter regions with zero or near-zero ZZ coupling, all of which are accessible with current technology. We furthermore find regions of strong ZZ coupling nearby, which may be used to implement adiabatic controlled-phase gates and quantum simulations. Our framework is applicable to many types of qubits and opens up for the design of large-scale quantum computers with improved gate fidelities.

In the era of Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum computing as well as in error correcting circuits, physical qubits coherence time and high fidelity gates are essential to the functioning of quantum computers. In this paper, we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally, that pulses designed by optimization can be used to counteract the loss of fidelity due to a control amplitude error of the transmon qubit. We analyze the control landscape obtained by robust optimal control and find it to depend on the error range, namely the solutions can get trapped in the basin of attraction of sub-optimal solutions. Robust controls are found for different error values and are compared to an incoherent loss of fidelity mechanism due to a finite relaxation rate. The controls are tested on the IBMQ's qubit and found to demonstrate resilience against significant $\sim 10\%$ errors.

We study the time evolution of the Bloch vector of the thermal multiphoton Jaynes-Cummings model (JCM). If the multiphoton JCM incorporates thermal fluctuations, its corresponding Bloch vector evolves unpredictably, traces a disordered trajectory, and exhibits quasiperiodicity. However, if we plot the trajectory as a discrete-time sequence with a constant time interval, it reveals unexpected regularities. First, we show that this plot is invariant under a scale transformation of a finite but non-zero time interval. Second, we numerically evaluate the times at which the absolute value of the $z$-component of the Bloch vector is nearly equal to zero. At those times, the density matrix of the two-level system approximates a classical ensemble of the ground and excited states. We demonstrate that some time values can be derived from the denominators of the fractions of certain approximations for irrational numbers. The reason underlying these findings is that the components of the Bloch vector for the thermal multiphoton JCM are described with a finite number of trigonometric functions whose dimensionless angular frequencies are irrational numbers in the low-temperature limit.

Simulating nonequilibirum dynamics of a quantum many-body system is one of the promising applications of quantum computing. We simulate the time evolution of one-dimensional ${\bf Z}_2$ lattice gauge theory on IBM's superconducting 156-qubit device ibm\_fez. We consider the Floquet circuit made of the Trotter decomposition of Hamiltonian evolution and focus on its dynamics toward thermalization. Quantum simulation with the help of error mitigation is successful in running the Floquet circuit made of $38$ and $116$ qubits up to $10$ Trotter steps in the best case. This is enough to reach the early stage of prethermalization. Our work would be a benchmark for the potential power of quantum computing for high-energy physics problems.

We apply the Wigner-Yanase skew information, as a quantum information quantifier of atomic non-classicality in the dynamics generated by the anti-Jaynes-Cummings (AJC) Hamiltonian when a two-level atom in an initial atomic ground state, couples to a single mode of squeezed coherent light. We investigate the effect of variation of squeeze parameter, field intensity, and coupling strength parameter, on the dynamics of the Wigner-Yanase skew information. We observe that time-evolution of the Wigner-Yanase skew information records mixed state values for all variations of squeeze parameter, field intensity and coupling strength parameter, congruent with squeezing effects.

The Jaynes-Cummings quantum optics model allows us to understand the dialogue between light and matter at its most fundamental level, which is crucial for advancements in quantum science and technology. Several generalizations of the model have long been proposed, emphasizing their dynamic behavior but paying less attention to their spectroscopy. Here, we obtain analytical expressions of the time-dependent spectral response of a nonlinear Jaynes-Cummings model based on deformed field operators. We show that the long-time response of the resulting nonlinear cavity field resembles the one experimentally obtained in the strong-dispersive regime of circuit quantum electrodynamics. The spectrum is intrinsically asymmetric with the nonlinear coupling, a signature of the impossibility of getting resonant conditions for finite field excitations.

Quantum Energy Teleportation (QET) exploits quantum entanglement and local operations with classical communication (LOCC) to transfer energy between distant locations without physically transporting the energy carrier. Previous demonstrations on superconducting hardware employed a two-qubit architecture and achieved a work extraction efficiency of approximately 11.7%. In this work, we propose a three-qubit QET protocol based on a novel Ising-model Hamiltonian satisfying the zero-mean-energy condition and the commutation and anti-commutation constraints required for QET. We investigate two complementary protocols. In the Single-Input Multiple-Output (SIMO) configuration, a single sender injects energy while two receivers jointly extract negative energy. Retaining all interaction terms, including the inter-receiver coupling, yields an honest work extraction efficiency of approximately 8--10%, comparable to the two-qubit implementation while distributing the extracted energy across two receivers. In the Multiple-Input Single-Output (MISO) configuration, two senders jointly inject energy through a single entangle-then-measure operation, and one receiver extracts the teleported energy. After subtracting the energy deposited directly into the receiver by the entangling operation, the net teleportation efficiency reaches 34--42%, substantially exceeding the two-qubit protocol while remaining consistent with energy conservation. These results show that extending QET to a three-qubit many-body system can significantly improve teleportation efficiency and provide a framework for studying energy transport, negative-energy distributions, and more complex quantum many-body dynamics.