In quantum computation, information is processed by gates that must coherently couple separate qubits. In many systems the qubits are naturally coupled, but such an always-on interaction limits the algorithms that may be implemented. Coupling interactions may also be directed in devices and circuits that are provided with additional control wiring. This can be achieved by adjusting the gate voltage in a semiconductor device or an additional flux in a superconducting device. Such control signals must be applied adiabatically (limiting the speed) and the additional wiring provides pathways for noise, which leads to decoherence. Here we demonstrate an alternative approach to coupling by exploiting the nonlinear behaviour of a degenerately doped silicon transistor. A single transistor can exhibit a large number of individual resonances, which are seen as changes in the source-drain current of a dc-biased device. These resonances may be addressed in frequency space due to their high quality factors. Two widely separated resonances are addressed and coupled in three-frequency spectroscopy by ensuring that the third frequency corresponds to the difference between the two individual resonances. The nonlinearity causes the generation of additional driving signals with appropriate frequency and phase relationships to ensure coupling, resulting in additional spectroscopic features that could be exploited for rapid state manipulation and gate operations.
In quantum computation, information is processed by gates that must coherently couple separate qubits. In many systems the qubits are naturally coupled, but such an always-on interaction limits the algorithms that may be implemented. Coupling interactions may also be directed in devices and circuits that are provided with additional control wiring. This can be achieved by adjusting the gate voltage in a semiconductor device or an additional flux in a superconducting device. Such control signals must be applied adiabatically (limiting the speed) and the additional wiring provides pathways for noise, which leads to decoherence. Here we demonstrate an alternative approach to coupling by exploiting the nonlinear behaviour of a degenerately doped silicon transistor. A single transistor can exhibit a large number of individual resonances, which are seen as changes in the source-drain current of a dc-biased device. These resonances may be addressed in frequency space due to their high quality factors. Two widely separated resonances are addressed and coupled in three-frequency spectroscopy by ensuring that the third frequency corresponds to the difference between the two individual resonances. The nonlinearity causes the generation of additional driving signals with appropriate frequency and phase relationships to ensure coupling, resulting in additional spectroscopic features that could be exploited for rapid state manipulation and gate operations.
We report controllable coupling between coherent excitations in a silicon transistor, which is useful for double-qubit gate operation. Coupling interactions may be directed by adjusting the gate voltage in a semiconductor device or by an additional flux in a superconducting device. Here, we demonstrate an alternative approach to coupling by exploiting the nonlinear behavior of the silicon transistor. Microwave spectroscopy on a DC-biased transistor has previously been found to indicate the presence of coherent oscillating electrons. We couple two such resonances by using triple-frequency spectroscopy, where the third frequency corresponds to the frequency difference between the two on-resonance frequencies.
Generating high-fidelity, tunable entanglement between qubits is crucial for realizing gate-based quantum computation. In superconducting circuits, tunable interactions are often implemented using flux-tunable qubits or coupling elements, adding control complexity and noise sources. Here, we realize a tunable ZZ interaction between two transmon qubits with fixed frequencies and fixed coupling, induced by driving both transmons off-resonantly. We show tunable coupling over one order of magnitude larger than the static coupling, and change the sign of the interaction, enabling cancellation of the idle coupling. Further, this interaction is amenable to large quantum processors: the drive frequency can be flexibly chosen to avoid spurious transitions, and because both transmons are driven, it is resilient to microwave crosstalk. We apply this interaction to implement a controlled phase (CZ) gate with a gate fidelity of 99.43(1)% as measured by cycle benchmarking, and we find the fidelity is limited by incoherent errors.
Generating high-fidelity, tunable entanglement between qubits is crucial for realizing gate-based quantum computation. In superconducting circuits, tunable interactions are often implemented using flux-tunable qubits or coupling elements, adding control complexity and noise sources. Here, we realize a tunable ZZ interaction between two transmon qubits with fixed frequencies and fixed coupling, induced by driving both transmons off resonantly. We show tunable coupling over 1 order of magnitude larger than the static coupling, and change the sign of the interaction, enabling cancellation of the idle coupling. Further, this interaction is amenable to large quantum processors: the drive frequency can be flexibly chosen to avoid spurious transitions, and because both transmons are driven, it is resilient to microwave cross talk. We apply this interaction to implement a controlled phase (CZ) gate with a gate fidelity of 99.43(1)% as measured by cycle benchmarking, and we find the fidelity is limited by incoherent errors.
Trapped charges at oxide interfaces in field effect transistors are well known sources of noise and generally degrade the device performance. At low temperatures, operating in the sub-threshold regime, conduction electrons can be confined to percolation pathways [1]. The scattering potential produced by trapped charge can then have a dramatic effect on the conductance, normally observed as random telegraph noise [2]. Here we show that it is possible to coherently excite the trapped electrons with microwave fields, which induce polarization fields that interact with the percolating electrons, measured as high-quality resonances (Q ~ 104- 105) in the transistor current. Implementing single-shot measurements gives the possibility to study the dynamics of the trapped electrons, and using a standard Ramsey protocol, coherent control is achieved. Given the long coherence times observed (T2~ 10 μs) and since each resonance can be addressed independently in frequency space, the possibility to use such systems as quantum memories or quantum bits is discussed.
Semiconductor quantum dots in silicon demonstrate exceptionally long spin lifetimes as qubits and are therefore promising candidates for quantum information processing. However, control and readout techniques for these devices have thus far employed low frequency electrons, in contrast to high speed temperature readout techniques used in other qubit architectures, and coupling between multiple quantum dot qubits has not been satisfactorily addressed.This dissertation presents the design and characterization of a semiconductor charge qubit based on double quantum dot in silicon with an integrated microwave resonator for control and readout. The 6 GHz resonator is designed to achieve strong coupling with the quantum dot qubit, allowing the use of circuit QED control and readout techniques which have not previously been applicable to semiconductor qubits. To achieve this coupling, this document demonstrates successful operation of a novel silicon double quantum dot design with a single active metallic layer and a coplanar stripline resonator with a bias tee for dc excitation.Experiments presented here demonstrate quantum localization and measurement of both electrons on the quantum dot and photons in the resonator. Further, it is shown that the resonator-qubit coupling in these devices is sufficient to reach the strong coupling regime of circuit QED. The details of a measurement setup capable of performing simultaneous low noise measurements of the resonator and quantum dot structure are also presented here.The ultimate aim of this research is to integrate the long coherence times observed in electron spins in silicon with the sophisticated readout architectures available in circuit QED based quantum information systems. This would allow superconducting qubits to be coupled directly to semiconductor qubits to create hybrid quantum systems with separate quantum memory and processing components.
Among the potential physical implementations of quantum bits (qubits) solid state devices appear most promising for large scale applications and integration in electronic circuits. Devices based on low-capacitance Josephson junctions exploit the coherence of the superconducting state, combined with the possibility to control individual charges by Coulomb blockade effects. The logical states in these systems differ by one Cooper-pair charge. Single- and two-bit operations can be performed by applying a sequence of gate voltages. The phase coherence time is sufficiently long to allow a series of these steps. If, in addition, the strength of the Josephson coupling is controlled (e.g. by currents in SQUID loops) the system is ideal for quantum computation. Recent experiments by Nakamura et al. show the feasibility of this approach. In addition to the manipulations of qubits the resulting quantum state has to be read out. This quantum measurement process can be accomplished by coupling a single-electron transistor (SET) capacitively to the qubit. We investigate the process by analyzing the time-evolution of the density matrix of the coupled system. The measurement process is characterized by three time scales: the dephasing time, which is fast when a dissipative current flows in the SET, a longer ‘measurement time’ needed to read out the signal, and a third, even longer ‘mixing time’, characterizing measurement induced transitions which destroy the information about the initial quantum state. The noise spectrum of the current in the SET displays these time scales and allows their direct observation.