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arXiv:1505.05614 · Nature Communications

Tuneable on-demand single-photon source in the microwave range

Zhihui Peng, Sebastian E. de Graaf, J. S. Tsai, O. V. Astafiev

Published Aug 22, 2016• 111 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

An on-demand single-photon source is a key element in a series of prospective quantum technologies and applications. Here we demonstrate the operation of a tuneable on-demand microwave photon source based on a fully controllable superconducting artificial atom strongly coupled to an open-ended transmission line. The atom emits a photon upon excitation by a short microwave π-pulse applied through a control line. The intrinsically limited device efficiency is estimated to be in the range 65-80% in a wide frequency range from 7.75 to 10.5 GHz continuously tuned by an external magnetic field. The actual demonstrated efficiency is also affected by the excited state preparation, which is about 90% in our experiments. The single-photon generation from the single-photon source is additionally confirmed by anti-bunching in the second-order correlation function. The source may have important applications in quantum communication, quantum information processing and sensing.

DOI
10.1038/ncomms12588

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Single-photon sources are of great interest because they are key elements in different promising applications of quantum technologies. Here we demonstrate a highly efficient tunable on-demand microwave single-photon source based on a transmon qubit with an intrinsic emission efficiency above $98\mathrm{%}$. The high efficiency ensures a negligible pure dephasing rate and the necessary conditions for generation of indistinguishable photons. We provide an extended discussion and analysis of the efficiency of the photon generation. To further experimentally confirm the single-photon property of the source, correlation functions of the emission field are also measured using linear detectors with a GPU-enhanced signal-processing technique. Our results experimentally demonstrate that frequency tunability and negligible pure dephasing rate can be achieved simultaneously and show that such a tunable single-photon source can be good for various practical applications in quantum communication, simulations and information processing in the microwave regime.
Single-photon sources of high efficiency are of great interest because they are the key elements in many prospective quantum technologies and applications. Based on our previous work, here we demonstrate a high-quality tunable microwave single-photon source based on transmon qubit with intrinsic emission efficiency more than 99%. To further confirm the single-photon property of the source, we study the single-photon interference in a Hanbury-Brown-Twiss (HBT) type setup and measure the correlation functions of the emission field using linear detectors with GPU-enhanced signal processing technique. The antibunching in second-order correlation function is clearly observed. The theoretical calculations agree well with the experimental results. Such a high-quality single-photon source may be used as a building block for quantum communication, simulation and information processing in microwave regime.
Abstract We present a detailed study of a microwave single-photon source utilizing a transmon qubit asymmetrically coupled to two transmission lines: a weakly coupled drive line and a strongly coupled emission line. Our design allows for the generation of single photons in the microwave regime, which are essential for quantum communication, computing, and sensing applications. In addition to single-photon generation, the same design functions as a power sensor and enables precise measurement of the system’s attenuation. This dual functionality allows us to calibrate the noise of our amplification chain. This enables a self-calibrated architecture in which the same device acts simultaneously as the photon source and as a reference standard, eliminating the need for external tones or calibrated inputs. With this calibration we reconstruct the density matrix of the emitted photon state, for which we achieve a fidelity of 61.4% and measure a second-order correlation function of g ( 2 ) ( 0 ) = 0.06 − 0.06 + 0.45 , indicating quantum nature and single-photon characteristics. These results confirm generation of single photons and demonstrate the potential of transmon qubits in advancing quantum technologies in the microwave domain.
In this article, we propose a method for generating single microwave photons in superconducting circuits. We theoretically show that pure single microwave photons can be generated on demand and tuned over a large frequency band by making use of Landau-Zener transitions under a rapid sweep of a control parameter. We devise a protocol that enables fast control of the frequency of the emitted photon over two octaves, without requiring extensive calibration. Additionally, we make theoretical estimates of the generation efficiency, tunability, purity, and linewidth of the photons emitted using this method for both charge- and flux-qubit-based architectures. We also provide estimates of the optimal device parameters required for these architectures to realize the device.