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

Physical Review A

Vacuum-induced surface-acoustic-wave phonon blockade

Jiang-Shan Tang, Yang Wu, Zhenkai Wang, Hui Sun, Lei Tang, Han Zhang, Tao Li, Yanqin Lu, Min Xiao, Keyu Xia

Published May 1, 2020• 19 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Photon blockade via a giant self-Kerr nonlinearity in an optical resonator induced by an N-type quantum system is one of the main routines towards photon-based quantum information processing. However, such an N-type system for phonons is lacking. We propose an effective N-type quantum system for phonons, forming from a superconducting transmon qubit and a microwave resonator. In the absence of any external driving, the quantum vacuum-qubit interaction causes the surface acoustic wave (SAW) phonon blockade. Such a vacuum-induced phonon blockade paves the way to prepare single SAW phonons from a weak coherent phononic state for SAW accessible superconducting quantum computation.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.101.053802

Related papers

Enhanced Phonon Antibunching in a Circuit Quantum Acoustodynamical System Containing Two Surface Acoustic Wave Resonators

Tai-Shuang Yin, Guangri Jin, Aixi Chen

We propose a scheme to implement the phonon antibunching and phonon blockade in a circuit quantum acoustodynamical system containing two surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators coupled to a superconducting qubit. In the cases of driving only one SAW resonator and two SAW resonators, we investigate the phonon statistics by numerically calculating the second-order correlation function. It is found that, when only one SAW cavity is resonantly driven, the phonon antibunching effect can be achieved even when the qubit-phonon coupling strength is smaller than the decay rates of acoustic cavities. This result physically originates from the quantum interference between super-Poissonian statistics and Poissonian statistics of phonons. In particular, when the two SAW resonators are simultaneously driven under the mechanical resonant condition, the phonon antibunching effect can be significantly enhanced, which ultimately allows for the generation of a phonon blockade. Moreover, the obtained phonon blockade can be optimized by regulating the intensity ratio of the two SAW driving fields. In addition, we also discuss in detail the effect of system parameters on the phonon statistics. Our work provides an alternative way for manipulating and controlling the nonclassical effects of SAW phonons. It may inspire the engineering of new SAW-based phonon devices and extend their applications in quantum information processing.

Micromachines•Apr 9, 2022•8 citations

Quantum Regime of a Two-Dimensional Phonon Cavity

Aleksey N. Bolgar, Julia Zotova, Daniil D. Kirichenko +4 more

We realize the quantum regime of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator by demonstrating vacuum Rabi mode splitting due to interaction with a superconducting artificial atom. Reaching the quantum regime is physically difficult and technologically challenging since SAW devices consist of large arrays of narrow metal strips. This work paves the way for realizing analogues of quantum optical phenomena with phonons and can be useful in on-chip quantum electronics.

arXiv:1710.06476•Physical Review Letters•May 31, 2018•79 citations

Towards phonon routing: controlling propagating acoustic waves in the quantum regime

M K Ekström, T Aref, A Ask +5 more

Abstract We explore routing of propagating phonons in analogy with previous experiments on photons. Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in the microwave regime are scattered by a superconducting transmon qubit. The transmon can be tuned on or off resonance with the incident SAW field using an external magnetic field or the Autler–Townes effect, and thus the reflection and transmission of the SAW field can be controlled in time. We observe 80% extinction in the transmission of the low power continuous signal and a 40 ns rise time of the router. The slow propagation speed of SAWs on solid surfaces allows for in-flight manipulations of the propagating phonons. The ability to route short, 100 ns, pulses enables new functionality, for instance to catch an acoustic phonon between two qubits and then release it in a controlled direction.

arXiv:1909.07027•New Journal of Physics•Nov 28, 2019•20 citations

Quantum communication with itinerant surface acoustic wave phonons

Étienne Dumur, Kevin J. Satzinger, G. A. Peairs +8 more

Abstract Surface acoustic waves are commonly used in classical electronics applications, and their use in quantum systems is beginning to be explored, as evidenced by recent experiments using acoustic Fabry–Pérot resonators. Here we explore their use for quantum communication, where we demonstrate a single-phonon surface acoustic wave transmission line, which links two physically separated qubit nodes. Each node comprises a microwave phonon transducer, an externally controlled superconducting variable coupler, and a superconducting qubit. Using this system, precisely shaped individual itinerant phonons are used to coherently transfer quantum information between the two physically distinct quantum nodes, enabling the high-fidelity node-to-node transfer of quantum states as well as the generation of a two-node Bell state. We further explore the dispersive interactions between an itinerant phonon emitted from one node and interacting with the superconducting qubit in the remote node. The observed interactions between the phonon and the remote qubit promise future quantum-optics-style experiments with itinerant phonons.

arXiv:2201.00729•npj Quantum Information•Dec 21, 2021•61 citations

Decoherence of surface phonons in a quantum acoustic system

C. Undershute, J. M. Kitzman, Camille A. Mikolas +1 more

Phononic resonators are becoming increasingly important in quantum information science, both for applications in quantum computing, communication, and sensing as well as in experiments investigating fundamental physics. Here, we study the decoherence of phonons confined in a surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator strongly coupled $(g/2\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\approx}9\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MHz})$ to a superconducting transmon qubit. By comparing experimental data with numerical solutions to the Markovian master equation, we report a surface phononic energy decay rate of ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{1}/2\ensuremath{\pi}=480\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{kHz}$ and a pure dephasing rate of ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}/2\ensuremath{\pi}=180\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{kHz}$. These rates are in good agreement with the level of decoherence we extract from qubit-assisted spectroscopic measurements of the SAW resonator. We additionally find that the timescales over which coherent driven dynamics and decoherence occur are comparable, highlighting the need to model the composite device as an open quantum system. We discuss possible sources of decoherence in SAW-based quantum acoustic devices and the application of these devices in future quantum acoustic dissipation engineering experiments. The decoherence characterization techniques we employ are broadly applicable for investigating and benchmarking the effects of loss and dephasing on mechanical resonators in the quantum regime.

arXiv:2410.03005•Physical Review A•Jan 13, 2025•4 citations

Generating quantum entanglement of phonons assisted by hybrid systems

Jiuming Li, Shao-Ming Fei

As a result of study on surface acoustic waves (SAWs), we propose protocols for generating the quantum entanglement on phonons. In the protocol of phonon–photon entanglement generation, the hybrid system is composed of a surface acoustic wave resonator (SAWR), a superconducting resonator (SR) and a nitrogen-vacancy-center ensemble (NVE). For the generation of three phonon modes entanglement, the SAWRs are coupled to the corresponding NVEs, while the NVEs interact with the same SR. Both protocols exploit the resonant interaction and the dispersive coupling. By considering the decoherence of the corresponding systems, the fidelities of the phonon–photon entanglement and three phonon modes entanglement reach 99.35% and 91.01%, respectively. Generalizing the approaches, we also present the protocol of multiple phonon modes entanglement.

International Journal of Quantum Information•Mar 28, 2025•0 citations
Photon blockade via a giant self-Kerr nonlinearity in an optical resonator induced by an N-type quantum system is one of the main routines towards photon-based quantum information processing. However, such an N-type system for phonons is lacking. We propose an effective N-type quantum system for phonons, forming from a superconducting transmon qubit and a microwave resonator. In the absence of any external driving, the quantum vacuum-qubit interaction causes the surface acoustic wave (SAW) phonon blockade. Such a vacuum-induced phonon blockade paves the way to prepare single SAW phonons from a weak coherent phononic state for SAW accessible superconducting quantum computation.
We propose a scheme to implement the phonon antibunching and phonon blockade in a circuit quantum acoustodynamical system containing two surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators coupled to a superconducting qubit. In the cases of driving only one SAW resonator and two SAW resonators, we investigate the phonon statistics by numerically calculating the second-order correlation function. It is found that, when only one SAW cavity is resonantly driven, the phonon antibunching effect can be achieved even when the qubit-phonon coupling strength is smaller than the decay rates of acoustic cavities. This result physically originates from the quantum interference between super-Poissonian statistics and Poissonian statistics of phonons. In particular, when the two SAW resonators are simultaneously driven under the mechanical resonant condition, the phonon antibunching effect can be significantly enhanced, which ultimately allows for the generation of a phonon blockade. Moreover, the obtained phonon blockade can be optimized by regulating the intensity ratio of the two SAW driving fields. In addition, we also discuss in detail the effect of system parameters on the phonon statistics. Our work provides an alternative way for manipulating and controlling the nonclassical effects of SAW phonons. It may inspire the engineering of new SAW-based phonon devices and extend their applications in quantum information processing.
Abstract We explore routing of propagating phonons in analogy with previous experiments on photons. Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in the microwave regime are scattered by a superconducting transmon qubit. The transmon can be tuned on or off resonance with the incident SAW field using an external magnetic field or the Autler–Townes effect, and thus the reflection and transmission of the SAW field can be controlled in time. We observe 80% extinction in the transmission of the low power continuous signal and a 40 ns rise time of the router. The slow propagation speed of SAWs on solid surfaces allows for in-flight manipulations of the propagating phonons. The ability to route short, 100 ns, pulses enables new functionality, for instance to catch an acoustic phonon between two qubits and then release it in a controlled direction.
Abstract Surface acoustic waves are commonly used in classical electronics applications, and their use in quantum systems is beginning to be explored, as evidenced by recent experiments using acoustic Fabry–Pérot resonators. Here we explore their use for quantum communication, where we demonstrate a single-phonon surface acoustic wave transmission line, which links two physically separated qubit nodes. Each node comprises a microwave phonon transducer, an externally controlled superconducting variable coupler, and a superconducting qubit. Using this system, precisely shaped individual itinerant phonons are used to coherently transfer quantum information between the two physically distinct quantum nodes, enabling the high-fidelity node-to-node transfer of quantum states as well as the generation of a two-node Bell state. We further explore the dispersive interactions between an itinerant phonon emitted from one node and interacting with the superconducting qubit in the remote node. The observed interactions between the phonon and the remote qubit promise future quantum-optics-style experiments with itinerant phonons.
Phononic resonators are becoming increasingly important in quantum information science, both for applications in quantum computing, communication, and sensing as well as in experiments investigating fundamental physics. Here, we study the decoherence of phonons confined in a surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator strongly coupled $(g/2\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\approx}9\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MHz})$ to a superconducting transmon qubit. By comparing experimental data with numerical solutions to the Markovian master equation, we report a surface phononic energy decay rate of ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{1}/2\ensuremath{\pi}=480\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{kHz}$ and a pure dephasing rate of ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}/2\ensuremath{\pi}=180\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{kHz}$. These rates are in good agreement with the level of decoherence we extract from qubit-assisted spectroscopic measurements of the SAW resonator. We additionally find that the timescales over which coherent driven dynamics and decoherence occur are comparable, highlighting the need to model the composite device as an open quantum system. We discuss possible sources of decoherence in SAW-based quantum acoustic devices and the application of these devices in future quantum acoustic dissipation engineering experiments. The decoherence characterization techniques we employ are broadly applicable for investigating and benchmarking the effects of loss and dephasing on mechanical resonators in the quantum regime.
As a result of study on surface acoustic waves (SAWs), we propose protocols for generating the quantum entanglement on phonons. In the protocol of phonon–photon entanglement generation, the hybrid system is composed of a surface acoustic wave resonator (SAWR), a superconducting resonator (SR) and a nitrogen-vacancy-center ensemble (NVE). For the generation of three phonon modes entanglement, the SAWRs are coupled to the corresponding NVEs, while the NVEs interact with the same SR. Both protocols exploit the resonant interaction and the dispersive coupling. By considering the decoherence of the corresponding systems, the fidelities of the phonon–photon entanglement and three phonon modes entanglement reach 99.35% and 91.01%, respectively. Generalizing the approaches, we also present the protocol of multiple phonon modes entanglement.