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arXiv:2103.01225 · PRX Quantum

Superconducting Circuit Companion—an Introduction with Worked Examples

S. E. Rasmussen, K.S. Christensen, Simon Panyella Pedersen, Lasse Bjørn Kristensen, Thomas Bækkegaard, Niels Jakob Søe Loft, Nikolaj Thomas Zinner

Published Dec 14, 2021• 126 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

This tutorial aims at giving an introductory treatment of the circuit analysis of superconducting qubits, i.e., two-level systems in superconducting circuits.It also touches upon couplings between such qubits and how microwave driving and these couplings can be used for single-and two-qubit gates, as well as how to include noise when calculating the dynamics of the system.We also discuss higher-dimensional superconducting qudits.The tutorial is intended for new researchers with limited or no experience with the field but should be accessible to anyone with a bachelor's degree in physics.The tutorial introduces the basic methods used in quantum circuit analysis, starting from a circuit diagram and ending with a quantized Hamiltonian, that may be truncated to the lowest levels.We provide examples of all the basic techniques throughout the discussion, while in the last part of the tutorial we discuss several of the most commonly used circuits for quantum-information applications.This includes both worked examples of single qubits and examples of how to analyze the coupling methods that allow multiqubit operations.In several detailed appendices, we provide the interested reader with an introduction to more advanced techniques for handling larger circuit designs.

DOI
10.1103/prxquantum.2.040204

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This tutorial aims at giving an introductory treatment of the circuit analysis of superconducting qubits, i.e., two-level systems in superconducting circuits.It also touches upon couplings between such qubits and how microwave driving and these couplings can be used for single-and two-qubit gates, as well as how to include noise when calculating the dynamics of the system.We also discuss higher-dimensional superconducting qudits.The tutorial is intended for new researchers with limited or no experience with the field but should be accessible to anyone with a bachelor's degree in physics.The tutorial introduces the basic methods used in quantum circuit analysis, starting from a circuit diagram and ending with a quantized Hamiltonian, that may be truncated to the lowest levels.We provide examples of all the basic techniques throughout the discussion, while in the last part of the tutorial we discuss several of the most commonly used circuits for quantum-information applications.This includes both worked examples of single qubits and examples of how to analyze the coupling methods that allow multiqubit operations.In several detailed appendices, we provide the interested reader with an introduction to more advanced techniques for handling larger circuit designs.
As superconducting circuits emerge as a leading platform for scalable quantum information processing, building comprehensive bridges from the foundational principles of macroscopic quantum phenomena to the architecture of modern quantum devices is increasingly essential for introducing new researchers to the field. This tutorial provides a self-contained, pedagogical introduction to superconducting quantum circuits at the undergraduate level. Beginning with an overview of superconductivity and the Josephson effect, the tutorial systematically develops the quantization of microwave circuits into the framework of circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED). The transmon qubit is then introduced as a state-of-the-art application, with a detailed derivation of its Hamiltonian and its interaction with control and readout circuitry. The theoretical formalism is consolidated through a numerical simulation of vacuum Rabi oscillations in a driven transmon-resonator system, a canonical experiment that demonstrates the coherent energy exchange characteristic of the strong coupling regime. This work serves as a foundational guide and first point of contact, equipping students and researchers with the conceptual and mathematical tools necessary to understand and engineer superconducting quantum hardware.
The new and rapidly growing field of circuit QED offers extremely exciting prospects for learning about and exercising intimate control over quantum systems, providing flexible, engineerable design and strong nonlinearities and interactions in systems consisting of microwave radiation fields and fixed artificial "atoms". These notes aim to provide a non-expert introduction to the field of circuit QED, to give a basic appreciation of the promise and challenges of the field, along with a number of key concepts that will hopefully be useful for the reader who is new to the field and beginning to explore the research literature. They were written as a pedagogical text designed to complement a course delivered to third-year undergraduate students. After a introductory section which discusses why studying circuit QED might be worthwhile and interesting, I introduce the basic theory tools from quantum optics and quantum information which are needed to understand the key elements of circuit QED. I also provide a brief overview of superconductivity, focussing on the concepts which are most relevant to operation in the regimes of interest in circuit QED. I then describe the three main types of superconducting qubits, and finally give a basic introduction to decoherence and mixture and how they relate to quantum behaviour in electronic circuits.
Superconducting quantum circuits are among the most promising solutions for the development of scalable quantum computers. Built with sizes that range from microns to tens of metres using superconducting fabrication techniques and microwave technology, superconducting circuits demonstrate distinctive quantum properties such as superposition and entanglement at cryogenic temperatures. This book provides a comprehensive and self-contained introduction to the world of superconducting quantum circuits, and how they are used in current quantum technology. Beginning with a description of their basic superconducting properties, the author then explores their use in quantum systems, showing how they can emulate individual photons and atoms, and ultimately behave as qubits within highly connected quantum systems. Particular attention is paid to cutting-edge applications of these superconducting circuits in quantum computing and quantum simulation. Written for graduate students and junior researchers, this accessible text includes numerous homework problems and worked examples.
The aim of this review is to provide quantum engineers with an introductory guide to the central concepts and challenges in the rapidly accelerating field of superconducting quantum circuits. Over the past twenty years, the field has matured from a predominantly basic research endeavor to a one that increasingly explores the engineering of larger-scale superconducting quantum systems. Here, we review several foundational elements—qubit design, noise properties, qubit control, and readout techniques—developed during this period, bridging fundamental concepts in circuit quantum electrodynamics and contemporary, state-of-the-art applications in gate-model quantum computation.
Abstract Superconducting qubits are currently a leading platform for developing a scalable quantum computer. However, random and uncontrollable noises from the environment during the design and measurement of qubits lead to limitations in qubit coherence time and gate fidelity, which is a major challenge in current state of the art for superconducting quantum computing. To advance superconducting qubits technologies, it is essential to understand and mitigate environmentally-induced errors. This requires modeling superconducting qubits as open quantum systems coupled to their surroundings. The present study aims to provide useful open quantum system approaches to analyze and quantify the interaction between superconducting qubits and their environments. We provide an accessible introduction to open quantum system formalism for newcomers to the field. For experts, we discuss recently developed methods for analyzing superconducting qubit dynamics under realistic noises. We outline how these techniques provide quantitative insights into decoherence mechanisms and how they can guide design improvements to enhance qubit coherence time. This self-contained review of open quantum system approaches can be used to model, understand, and improve superconducting qubit performance in the presence of unavoidable environmental noises.
In the last two decades, a spectacular development in the superconducting qubits has been accomplished experimentally as well as theoretically. The main reason for that is the realization that superconducting qubits can play a crucial role in the emergent field of quantum information processing and quantum computing. The interaction of superconducting qubits with the quantized electromagnetic field leads to make the circuit quantum electrodynamics, inspired by cavity quantum electrodynamics. The field of superconducting qubits and circuit QED is fast growing and branching to diverse applications in multidisciplinary fields. This makes it harder for first-time readers to follow-up. Therefore, this article is targeting to introduce in an intuitive way the topic of superconducting qubit and circuit QED by giving all the mathematical background, Lagrangian formalism for electric circuits, interaction Hamiltonian, and contextual physical interpretation essential to anew scientists and engineers planning to be specialized in this field as well as portraying a wide vantage for higher studies through the suggested recommendation resulted from the simulated examples and written code based on Python packages and Qiskit software. In this article, the superconducting qubits, transmon and fluxonium, are reviewed after introducing the abstract definition of a quantum bit. Moreover, light-matter interaction in fluxonium qubit and quantization of transmission line resonator are discussed briefly. Some of the simulated systems such as the energy levels of fluxonium as a function of offset flux are presented. Finally, applications of superconducting qubits in quantum computing and other fields such as quantum transistors, quantum machines and metamaterials are discussed. Index Terms Superconducting qubits, circuit QED, quantum logic gate, fluxonium, transmon.