Superconducting quantum circuit design is reliant on accurately mapping design parameters to a quantum Hamiltonian. Designers typically rely on computationally intensive finite-element electromagnetic simulations. However, effective circuit-level models can in principle capture much of the relevant physics for these systems, reducing the need for finite-element simulations. A barrier to implementing these simpler models has been the prevalence of distributed elements such as coplanar waveguides resonators in device designs. Techniques for modeling these distributed elements have been developed, but may be difficult to scale, reduce intuition, and give inaccurate results under strong coupling. In this work we describe a simple effective circuit-level model that faithfully reproduces the scattering parameters, and subsequently can predict certain Hamiltonian parameters, for a coupled, distributed element within a broader two-port network even up to strong coupling. Our approach does not explicitly require an electromagnetic simulation. Our model, along with other common lumped models used in black box quantization, is publicly available to researchers via an open-source code package, $\texttt{simpleLOMs}$.
Superconducting quantum circuit design is reliant on accurately mapping design parameters to a quantum Hamiltonian. Designers typically rely on computationally intensive finite-element electromagnetic simulations. However, effective circuit-level models can in principle capture much of the relevant physics for these systems, reducing the need for finite-element simulations. A barrier to implementing these simpler models has been the prevalence of distributed elements such as coplanar waveguides resonators in device designs. Techniques for modeling these distributed elements have been developed, but may be difficult to scale, reduce intuition, and give inaccurate results under strong coupling. In this work we describe a simple effective circuit-level model that faithfully reproduces the scattering parameters, and subsequently can predict certain Hamiltonian parameters, for a coupled, distributed element within a broader two-port network even up to strong coupling. Our approach does not explicitly require an electromagnetic simulation. Our model, along with other common lumped models used in black box quantization, is publicly available to researchers via an open-source code package, simpleLOMs.
We present a method for the numerical analysis of superconducting quantum circuits combining lumped elements, either linear or nonlinear (i.e., Josephson junctions), and distributed coplanar waveguide (CPW) structures. CPW transmission lines and multiline couplers are directly modeled without discretizing them into lumped-element equivalents, and the circuit Hamiltonian parameters are extracted by using the energy-participation ratio (EPR) method. This approach enables fast and accurate extraction of mode frequencies, anharmonicities, cross-Kerr interactions, and Purcell decay rates without relying on full electromagnetic simulations, while naturally accounting for higher-order modes of distributed components. We have implemented the proposed method in a Python framework, QuLTRA (Quantum hybrid Lumped and TRansmission lines circuits Analyzer), which we have used to validate the approach against full electromagnetic simulations (Ansys HFSS, pyEPR), existing circuit-analysis tools (QuCAT), and designs reported in the literature. The comparisons show excellent agreement with orders-of-magnitude reductions in computational time relative to full-wave solvers. We demonstrate applications including Purcell-protected readout, multimode ultrastrong coupling, and multiplexed qubit readout, illustrating how the method can support fast and reliable early-stage circuit design.
In this work, we introduce new methods for the quantization, decomposition, and extraction (from electromagnetic simulations) of lumped-element circuit models for superconducting quantum devices. Our flux-charge symmetric procedures center on the network matrix, which encodes the connectivity of a circuit's inductive loops and capacitive nodes. First, we use the network matrix to demonstrate a simple algorithm for circuit quantization, giving novel predictions for the Hamiltonians of circuits with both Josephson junctions and quantum phase slip wires. We then show that by performing pivoting operations on the network matrix, we can decompose a superconducting circuit model into its simplest equivalent "fundamental" form, in which the harmonic degrees of freedom are separated out from the Josephson junctions and phase slip wires. Finally, we illustrate how to extract an exact, transformerless circuit model from electromagnetic simulations of a device's hybrid admittance/impedance response matrix, by matching the lumped circuit's network matrix to the network topology of the physical layout. Overall, we provide a toolkit of intuitive methods that can be used to construct, analyze, and manipulate superconducting circuit models.
Time-dependent electromagnetic drives are fundamental for controlling complex quantum systems, including superconducting Josephson circuits. In these devices, accurate time-dependent Hamiltonian models are imperative for predicting their dynamics and designing high-fidelity quantum operations. Existing numerical methods, such as black-box quantization (BBQ) and energy-participation ratio (EPR), excel at modeling the static Hamiltonians of Josephson circuits. However, these techniques do not fully capture the behavior of driven circuits stimulated by external microwave drives, nor do they include a generalized approach to account for the inevitable noise and dissipation that enter through microwave ports. Here, we introduce numerical techniques that leverage classical microwave simulations, efficiently executable in finite-element solvers, to obtain the time-dependent Hamiltonian of microwave-driven superconducting circuits with arbitrary geometries under charge, flux, or mixed electromagnetic modulation. Importantly, our techniques do not rely on a lumped-element description of the superconducting circuit, in contrast to previous approaches to tackling this problem. We demonstrate the versatility of our approach by characterizing the driven properties of realistic circuit devices in complex electromagnetic environments, including coherent dynamics due to charge and flux modulation, as well as drive-induced relaxation and dephasing. Our techniques offer a powerful toolbox for optimizing circuit designs and advancing practical applications in superconducting quantum computing.
Quantum information processing technologies are gaining interest due to their potential for performance exceeding what is possible with the best classical computers. One of the most promising platforms is the circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) architecture that controls superconducting circuit qubits by coupling them to electromagnetic fields in microwave resonators or waveguides. As these devices become increasingly complex, existing analysis and design approaches that often rely on lumped element circuit approximations can become inadequate due to their lack of accuracy and flexibility. This is leading to a growing interest in developing quantum full-wave numerical modeling methods for the high-fidelity analysis of cQED devices. In this work, we focus on a quantum full-wave modeling approach that uses a projector-based quantization approach that allows a problem to be decomposed into distinct subdomains whose fields can be quantized more easily. This leads to a framework that can naturally incorporate microwave ports, which is not straightforward with other formulations. Here, we consider an explicit problem of a coaxial-fed rectangular waveguide cavity to validate parts of our projector-based formalism. Toward this end, we apply this approach to a classical Hamiltonian analysis of this system that can be used to more easily validate the relevant full-wave aspects of the corresponding quantum formulation. In addition to presenting the formulation of the full-wave classical Hamiltonian of the system, we derive equations of motion and discuss an analytical solution procedure with an input-output theory approach. We validate our formulation by comparing the input-output theory results to standard finite element method (FEM) scattering parameter simulations.
High quality on-chip microwave resonators have recently found prominent new applications in quantum optics and quantum information processing experiments with superconducting electronic circuits, a field now known as circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED). They are also used as single photon detectors and parametric amplifiers. Here we analyze the physical properties of coplanar waveguide resonators and their relation to the materials properties for use in circuit QED. We have designed and fabricated resonators with fundamental frequencies from 2 to 9 GHz and quality factors ranging from a few hundreds to a several hundred thousands controlled by appropriately designed input and output coupling capacitors. The microwave transmission spectra measured at temperatures of 20 mK are shown to be in good agreement with theoretical lumped element and distributed element transmission matrix models. In particular, the experimentally determined resonance frequencies, quality factors, and insertion losses are fully and consistently explained by the two models for all measured devices. The high level of control and flexibility in design renders these resonators ideal for storing and manipulating quantum electromagnetic fields in integrated superconducting electronic circuits.
The leading approach to attempt quantum computing is based on superconductors. In particular, Circuit Quantum Electrodynamic systems (circuit QED) are used to couple photons stored in a microwave resonator to a quantum bit (qubit), allowing the qubit to be controlled and measured. A lumped element parallel RLC circuit will be used to model a superconducting coplanar microwave resonator, in order to gain an intuitive understanding of how various parameters affect its electromagnetic properties, and how they can be optimised to provide desired specifications. Resonator quality factors will also be realised, which describe the effects of coupling the microwave resonator to external input/output transmission lines. The qubit is generated by a superconducting capacitively shunted Josephson Junction; the transmon, and its operation and non-linear behaviour will be discussed in this report. The transmon is integrated with a microwave resonator to generate the circuit QED system, and the derivation of the systems Hamiltonian will allow us to determine the equations describing the behaviour of the system, and therefore how it may be controlled and measured. The Bloch sphere will be introduced, which provides a useful geometric representation of the state space of a two-level quantum system. Mapping the derived Hamiltonian to the time-dependent Schrodinger equation facilitates realisation of control mechanisms of the qubit based on rotations about the Bloch sphere.