Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:0903.4028 · Europhysics Letters (EPL)

Optimal control of superconducting N-level quantum systems

H. Jirari, F. W. J. Hekking, O. Buisson

Published Jul 1, 2009• 46 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We consider a current-biased dc SQUID in the presence of an applied time-dependent bias current or magnetic flux. The phase dynamics of such a Josephson device is equivalent to that of a quantum particle trapped in a 1D anharmonic potential, subject to external time-dependent control fields, i.e. a driven multilevel quantum system. The problem of finding the required time-dependent control field that will steer the system from a given initial state to a desired final state at a specified final time is formulated in the framework of optimal-control theory. Using the spectral filter technique, we show that the selected optimal field which induces a coherent population transfer between quantum states is represented by a carrier signal having a constant frequency but which is time-varied both in amplitude and phase. The sensitivity of the optimal solution to parameter perturbations is also addressed.

DOI
10.1209/0295-5075/87/28004

Related papers

Coherent Oscillations in a Superconducting Multilevel Quantum System

Julien Claudon, Franck Balestro, F. W. J. Hekking +1 more

We have observed coherent oscillations in a multilevel quantum system, formed by a current-biased dc SQUID. These oscillations have been induced by applying resonant microwave pulses of flux. Quantum measurement is performed by a nanosecond flux pulse that projects the final state onto one of two different voltage states of the dc SQUID, which can be read out. The number of quantum states involved in the coherent oscillations increases with increasing microwave power. The dependence of the oscillation frequency on microwave power deviates strongly from the linear regime expected for a two-level system and can be very well explained by a theoretical model taking into account the anharmonicity of the multilevel system.

arXiv:cond-mat/0405430•Physical Review Letters•Oct 26, 2004•108 citations

Decoherence processes in a current biased dc SQUID

Julien Claudon, Aurélien Fay, Laurent-Patrick Lévy +1 more

A current biased dc superconducting quantum interference device behaves as an anharmonic quantum oscillator controlled by a bias current and an applied magnetic flux. We consider here its two level limit consisting of the two lower energy states \ensuremath{\mid}0⟩ and \ensuremath{\mid}1⟩. We have measured energy relaxation times and microwave absorption for different bias currents and fluxes in the low microwave power limit. Decoherence times are extracted. The low frequency flux and current noise have been measured independently by analyzing the probability of current switching from the superconducting to the finite voltage state, as a function of applied flux. The high frequency part of the current noise is derived from the electromagnetic environment of the circuit. The decoherence of this quantum circuit can be fully accounted for by these current and flux noise sources.

arXiv:cond-mat/0601522•Physical Review B•May 5, 2006•19 citations

Equivalent Single-Junction Model of Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices in the Presence of Time-Varying Fields

Roberto De Luca

The reduced dynamical model of a two-junction quantum interference device is generalized to the case of time-varying externally applied fluxes with a d. c. component and an oscillating addendum whose frequency is comparable with the inverse of the characteristic time for flux dynamics within the superconducting system. From the resulting effective single-junction model for null inductance of the superconducting loop, it can be seen that the critical current of the device shows a dependence on the frequency and amplitude of the oscillating part of the applied flux. It can therefore be argued that the latter quantities can be considered as control parameters in the voltage versus applied flux curves of superconducting quantum interference devices.

ISRN Condensed Matter Physics•Nov 30, 2011•0 citations

Controllable π SQUID

J. J. A. Baselmans, Bart Jan van Wees, T. M. Klapwijk

We have fabricated and studied a promising kind of direct current superconducting quantum interference device (dc-SQUID) in which the magnitude and sign of the critical current of the individual Josephson junctions can be controlled by additional voltage probes connected to the junctions. We show that the amplitude of the voltage oscillations of the SQUID as a function of the applied magnetic field can be tuned and that the phase of the oscillations can be switched between 0 and π in the temperature range of 0.1–4.2 K using a suitable control voltage. This is equivalent to the external application of (n+1/2) flux quantum.

arXiv:cond-mat/0107292•Applied Physics Letters•Oct 29, 2001•25 citations

Quantum optimal control theory and dynamic coupling in the spin-boson model

Hamza Jirari, W. Pötz

A Markovian master equation describing the evolution of open quantum systems in the presence of a time-dependent external field is derived within the Bloch-Redfield formalism. It leads to a system-bath interaction which depends on the control field. Optimal control theory is used to select control fields which allow accelerated or decelerated system relaxation, or suppression of relaxation (dissipation) altogether, depending on the dynamics we impose on the quantum system. The control-dissipation correlation and the nonperturbative treatment of the control field are essential for reaching this goal. The optimal control problem is formulated within Pontryagin's minimum principle and the resulting optimal differential system is solved numerically. As an application, we study the dynamics of a spin-boson model in the strong coupling regime under the influence of an external control field. We show how trapping the system in unstable quantum states and transfer of population can be achieved by optimized control of the dissipative quantum system. We also used optimal control theory to find the driving field that generates the quantum $Z$ gate. In several cases studied, we find that the selected optimal field which reduces the purity loss significantly is a multicomponent low-frequency field including higher harmonics, all of which lie below the phonon cutoff frequency. Finally, in the undriven case we present an analytic result for the Lamb shift at zero temperature.

arXiv:cond-mat/0602497•Physical Review A•Aug 7, 2006•76 citations

Noise-mediated cooperative behavior and signal detection in dc SQUIDs

Mario E. Inchiosa

We study the detection of very weak time-periodic magnetic signals via a double-junction (dc) Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). The device, represented by two coupled nonlinear differential equations for the quantum mechanical junction phases, admits of long-time static or oscillatory solutions, the transition being controllable by experimental parameters. Signal detection is optimal when the device is “tuned” to the onset of the oscillatory solutions; i.e., when the minima in the 2D potential function disappear. Modeling the device via a derived input-output transfer characteristic yields a response (quantified via the signal-to-noise ratio at the signal frequency) in good agreement with recent experiments. We also present some preliminary results pertaining to coupled dc SQUIDs, taking into account the (incoherent) thermal noise sources in each of the Josephson junctions. As might be expected from previous work, coupling the SQUIDs and/or summing their outputs enhances the response to the external signal.

AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2000•2 citations
We consider a current-biased dc SQUID in the presence of an applied time-dependent bias current or magnetic flux. The phase dynamics of such a Josephson device is equivalent to that of a quantum particle trapped in a 1D anharmonic potential, subject to external time-dependent control fields, i.e. a driven multilevel quantum system. The problem of finding the required time-dependent control field that will steer the system from a given initial state to a desired final state at a specified final time is formulated in the framework of optimal-control theory. Using the spectral filter technique, we show that the selected optimal field which induces a coherent population transfer between quantum states is represented by a carrier signal having a constant frequency but which is time-varied both in amplitude and phase. The sensitivity of the optimal solution to parameter perturbations is also addressed.
We have observed coherent oscillations in a multilevel quantum system, formed by a current-biased dc SQUID. These oscillations have been induced by applying resonant microwave pulses of flux. Quantum measurement is performed by a nanosecond flux pulse that projects the final state onto one of two different voltage states of the dc SQUID, which can be read out. The number of quantum states involved in the coherent oscillations increases with increasing microwave power. The dependence of the oscillation frequency on microwave power deviates strongly from the linear regime expected for a two-level system and can be very well explained by a theoretical model taking into account the anharmonicity of the multilevel system.
A current biased dc superconducting quantum interference device behaves as an anharmonic quantum oscillator controlled by a bias current and an applied magnetic flux. We consider here its two level limit consisting of the two lower energy states \ensuremath{\mid}0⟩ and \ensuremath{\mid}1⟩. We have measured energy relaxation times and microwave absorption for different bias currents and fluxes in the low microwave power limit. Decoherence times are extracted. The low frequency flux and current noise have been measured independently by analyzing the probability of current switching from the superconducting to the finite voltage state, as a function of applied flux. The high frequency part of the current noise is derived from the electromagnetic environment of the circuit. The decoherence of this quantum circuit can be fully accounted for by these current and flux noise sources.
The reduced dynamical model of a two-junction quantum interference device is generalized to the case of time-varying externally applied fluxes with a d. c. component and an oscillating addendum whose frequency is comparable with the inverse of the characteristic time for flux dynamics within the superconducting system. From the resulting effective single-junction model for null inductance of the superconducting loop, it can be seen that the critical current of the device shows a dependence on the frequency and amplitude of the oscillating part of the applied flux. It can therefore be argued that the latter quantities can be considered as control parameters in the voltage versus applied flux curves of superconducting quantum interference devices.
We have fabricated and studied a promising kind of direct current superconducting quantum interference device (dc-SQUID) in which the magnitude and sign of the critical current of the individual Josephson junctions can be controlled by additional voltage probes connected to the junctions. We show that the amplitude of the voltage oscillations of the SQUID as a function of the applied magnetic field can be tuned and that the phase of the oscillations can be switched between 0 and π in the temperature range of 0.1–4.2 K using a suitable control voltage. This is equivalent to the external application of (n+1/2) flux quantum.
A Markovian master equation describing the evolution of open quantum systems in the presence of a time-dependent external field is derived within the Bloch-Redfield formalism. It leads to a system-bath interaction which depends on the control field. Optimal control theory is used to select control fields which allow accelerated or decelerated system relaxation, or suppression of relaxation (dissipation) altogether, depending on the dynamics we impose on the quantum system. The control-dissipation correlation and the nonperturbative treatment of the control field are essential for reaching this goal. The optimal control problem is formulated within Pontryagin's minimum principle and the resulting optimal differential system is solved numerically. As an application, we study the dynamics of a spin-boson model in the strong coupling regime under the influence of an external control field. We show how trapping the system in unstable quantum states and transfer of population can be achieved by optimized control of the dissipative quantum system. We also used optimal control theory to find the driving field that generates the quantum ZZZ gate. In several cases studied, we find that the selected optimal field which reduces the purity loss significantly is a multicomponent low-frequency field including higher harmonics, all of which lie below the phonon cutoff frequency. Finally, in the undriven case we present an analytic result for the Lamb shift at zero temperature.
We study the detection of very weak time-periodic magnetic signals via a double-junction (dc) Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). The device, represented by two coupled nonlinear differential equations for the quantum mechanical junction phases, admits of long-time static or oscillatory solutions, the transition being controllable by experimental parameters. Signal detection is optimal when the device is “tuned” to the onset of the oscillatory solutions; i.e., when the minima in the 2D potential function disappear. Modeling the device via a derived input-output transfer characteristic yields a response (quantified via the signal-to-noise ratio at the signal frequency) in good agreement with recent experiments. We also present some preliminary results pertaining to coupled dc SQUIDs, taking into account the (incoherent) thermal noise sources in each of the Josephson junctions. As might be expected from previous work, coupling the SQUIDs and/or summing their outputs enhances the response to the external signal.