In this thesis we propose new methods in multi-qubit multi-mode circuit quantum electrodynamics (circuit-QED) architectures. In Chapter 2 we describe a direct parity measurement method for three qubits, which can be realized in 2D circuit-QED with a possible extension to four qubits in a 3D circuit-QED setup for the implementation of the surface code. In Chapter 3 we show how to derive Hamiltonians and compute relaxation rates of the multi-mode superconducting microwave circuits consisting of single Josephson junctions using an exact impedance synthesis technique (the Brune synthesis) and applying previous formalisms for lumped element circuit quantization. In the rest of the thesis we extend our method in Chapter 3 to multi-junction (multi-qubit) multi-mode circuits through the use of state-space descriptions which allows us to quantize any multiport microwave superconducting circuit with a reciprocal lossy impedance response.
In this thesis we propose new methods in multi-qubit multi-mode circuit quantum electrodynamics (circuit-QED) architectures. In Chapter 2 we describe a direct parity measurement method for three qubits, which can be realized in 2D circuit-QED with a possible extension to four qubits in a 3D circuit-QED setup for the implementation of the surface code. In Chapter 3 we show how to derive Hamiltonians and compute relaxation rates of the multi-mode superconducting microwave circuits consisting of single Josephson junctions using an exact impedance synthesis technique (the Brune synthesis) and applying previous formalisms for lumped element circuit quantization. In the rest of the thesis we extend our method in Chapter 3 to multi-junction (multi-qubit) multi-mode circuits through the use of state-space descriptions which allows us to quantize any multiport microwave superconducting circuit with a reciprocal lossy impedance response.
We present a concept for performing direct parity measurements on three or more qubits in microwave structures with superconducting resonators coupled to Josephson-junction qubits. We write the quantum-eraser conditions that must be fulfilled for the parity measurements as requirements for the scattering phase shift of our microwave structure. We show that these conditions can be fulfilled with present-day devices. We present one particular scheme, implemented with two-dimensional cavity techniques, in which each qubit should be coupled equally to two different microwave cavities. The magnitudes of the couplings that are needed are in the range that has been achieved in current experiments. A quantum calculation indicates that the measurement is optimal if the scattering signal can be measured with near single-photon sensitivity. A comparison with an extension of a related proposal from cavity optics is presented. We present a second scheme, for which a scalable implementation of the four-qubit parities of the surface quantum error correction code can be envisioned. It uses three-dimensional cavity structures, using cavity symmetries to achieve the necessary multiple resonant modes within a single resonant structure.
In an attempt to better leverage superconducting quantum computers, scaling efforts have become the central concern. These efforts have been further exacerbated by the increased complexity of these circuits. The added complexity can introduce parasitic couplings and resonances, which may hinder the overall performance and scalability of these devices. We explore a method of modeling and characterization based on multiport impedance functions that correspond to multi-qubit circuits. By combining vector fitting techniques with a novel method for interconnecting rational impedance functions, we are able to efficiently construct Hamiltonians for multi-qubit circuits using electromagnetic simulations. Our methods can also be applied to circuits that contain both lumped and distributed element components. The constructed Hamiltonians account for all the interactions within a circuit that are described by the impedance function. We then present characterization methods that allow us to estimate effective qubit coupling rates, state-dependent dispersive shifts of resonant modes, and qubit relaxation times.
In this PhD thesis, we will present the theoretical and experimental work that led to the realization of a radio-frequency circuit quantum electrodynamics system (RFcQED). In chapter 2, we provide a detailed derivation of the Hamiltonian of circuit QED formulated in the context of the Rabi model, and extract expressions for the cross-Kerr interaction. The resulting requirements for the coupling rate in RFcQED are discussed, one of them being the need to dramatically increase the coupling rate compared to typical circuit QED device. In chapter 3 we cover two experimental approaches to increasing the coupling in a circuit QED system, one making use of a high impedance resonator, the second utilizing a large coupling capacitor. In chapter 4, we combine these two approaches to implement RFcQED. Through strong dispersive coupling, we could measure individual photons in a megahertz resonator, demonstrate quantum control by cooling the resonator to the ground state or preparing Fock states, and finally observe with nanosecond resolution the re-thermalization of these states. In chapter 5 we present QuCAT or Quantum Circuit Analyzer Tool in Python, a software package that can be used for the design of circuit QED systems such as the one presented in this thesis. In chapter 6 we discuss how certain interplays between general relativity and quantum mechanics cannot be described using our current laws of physics. In particular, we show how radio-frequency mechanical oscillators are perfect candidates to perform experiments in this regime. In chapter 7 we present the prospects for coupling such mechanical oscillator to weakly anharmonic superconducting circuits such as the transmon qubit or RFcQED systems.
In this thesis, experimentally relevant aspects and open questions of quantum information processing and measurement in circuit quantum electrodynamics have been investigated theoretically. Circuit quantum electrodynamics is a relatively young field combining superconducting transmission line resonators on-chip with superconducting quantum bits which serve as artificial atoms. Remarkable experiments have underlined the prospects of circuit QED as a possible architecture for quantum information processing as well as a framework within which quantum optics experiments can be performed. In contrast to their optical counterparts, these experiments reach the ultra-strong coupling limit and allow e.g. the generation of Fock states, the study of decoherence and the observation of quantum jumps. We present the physics of superconducting circuits based on the Josephson junction as a non-linear circuit element. We discuss the various types of quantum bits (qubits) before turning to an introduction on cavity QED and conclude the introduction with a brief presentation of the most relevant experiments and a short introduction to the principles and prospects of quantum information processing. Building on the pioneering theoretical and experimental work in which up to three qubits have been integrated on a chip and successfully coupled via a cavity mode, we propose a scheme to overcome the natural limits concerning scalability in these systems. Usually, scalability is severely limited by the resonance width of the qubit transitions and the attainable frequency range for both qubit transition and cavity resonance frequencies. This limits the present setups to at most ten qubits. As a possible solution, we propose and investigate a cross-bar grid layout of cavities with qubits at the intersections. It turns out that this setup, allowing for up to about 1000 qubits, offers significant advantages over e.g. nearest-neighbor coupling schemes. In addition, it can serve as a building block for a truly scalable scheme for fault-tolerant quantum information processing with superconducting circuits by combining 7x7 arrays in a staircase manner. Furthermore, we discuss and simulate different possibilities to improve upon the suggested scheme by e.g. using resonant gates and optimal control theory. Another focus of the present thesis is measurement physics. In order to investigate e.g. the possibilities of using a circuit QED system to dispersively detect single microwave photons or to generate multi-qubit entangled states, we introduce in a pedagogical manner the basics of stochastic master equations which generate quantum trajectories before turning to concrete applications. Quantum trajectories have proven to be a state-of-the-art tool to analyze measurement situations in a very realistic manner by giving access to both the measurement record as well as the internal quantum dynamics conditioned on this record. Using the method of quantum trajectories as generated by stochastic master equations, we discuss a scheme to efficiently generate multi-qubit entangled states in a very flexible way. The method is based on a collective, dispersive qubit readout. By this measurement, a suitable product state of N qubits can be reliably converted into e.g. an N-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger or W state. We propose and discuss the scheme and investigate the effects of decoherence and parameter spread as they would be encountered in experiment. Last but not least, we propose and fully analyze a scheme to dispersively detect single itinerant microwave photons. While experiments to generate single microwave photons have already been successfully performed, their single-shot quantum non-demolition detection has not been possible so far. The scheme presented in this thesis closes this gap in the circuit QED toolbox and reaches detection efficiencies of 30% only limited by fundamental quantum mechanics in this case the Quantum Zeno effect. This detection scheme could be used in quantum communication or quantum cryptography applications.
In this thesis, we examine an extension of circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED), cavity QED using superconducting circuits, that utilizes multimode cavities as a resource for quantum information processing. We focus on the issue of qubit connectivity in the processors, with an ideal processor having random access -- the ability of arbitrary qubit pairs to interact directly. Here, we implement a random access superconducting quantum information processor, demonstrating universal operations on a nine-qubit memory, with a Josephson junction transmon circuit serving as the central processor. The quantum memory is a multimode cavity, using the eigenmodes of a linear array of coupled superconducting resonators. We selectively stimulate vacuum Rabi oscillations between the transmon and individual eigenmodes through parametric flux modulation of the transmon frequency. Utilizing these oscillations, we perform a universal set of quantum gates on 38 arbitrary pairs of modes and prepare multimode entangled states, all using only two control lines. We thus achieve hardware-efficient random access multi-qubit control. We also explore a novel design for creating long-lived 3D cavity memories compatible with this processor. Dubbed the ``quantum flute'', this design is monolithic, avoiding the loss suffered by cavities with a seam between multiple parts. We demonstrate the ability to manipulate the spectrum of a multimode cavity and also measure photon lifetimes of 0.5-1.3 ms for 21 modes. The combination of long-lived quantum memories with random access makes for a promising architecture for quantum computing moving forward.
Superconducting qubits are a promising technology for building a scalable quantum computer. An important architecture employed in the field is called Circuit Quantum Electrodynamics (circuit QED), where such qubits are combined with high quality microwave cavities to study the interaction between artificial atoms and single microwave photons. The ultra-strong coupling achieved in these systems allows for control and readout of the quantum state of qubits to perform quantum information processing. The work on circuit QED performed in this thesis consisted of realizing an experimental setup for qubit experiments in a new laboratory, investigating the coherence and decay of higher energy levels of superconducting transmon qubits and finally demonstrating a novel coaxial form of circuit QED. Designing and building a 3D circuit QED setup involved the following main accomplishments: producing high quality 3D cavities; designing and installing the cryogenic microwave setup as well as the room temperature amplification and data acquisition circuitry; successfully developing a recipe for the fabrication of Josephson junctions; controlling and measuring superconducting 3D transmon qubits at 10mK. Several qubits were fully characterised and have shown coherence times of several microseconds and relaxation times up to 25μs. Superconducting qubits in fact possess higher energy levels that can provide significant computational advantages in quantum information applications. In experiments performed at MIT, preparation and control of the five lowest states of a transmon qubit was demonstrated, followed by an investigation of the phase coherence and decay dynamics of these higher energy levels. The decay was found to proceed mainly sequentially with relaxation times in excess of 20μs for all transitions. A direct measurement of the charge dispersion of these levels was performed to explore their characteristics of dephasing. This experiment was also reproduced on a 3D transmon fabricated and measured in Oxford, where due to a higher effective qubit temperature a multi-level decay model including thermal excitations was developed to explain the observed relaxation dynamics. Finally, a coaxial transmon, which we name the coaxmon, is presented and measured with a coaxial LC readout resonator and input/output coupling ports placed inline along the third dimension. This novel coaxial circuit QED architecture holds great promise for developing a scalable planar grid of qubits to build a quantum computer.