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Quantum Computing, Communication, and Simulation

Stable optomechanical Fabry-Pérot architecture in a continuous microwave-to-optical transducer

Maxwell D. Urmey, Sarang Mittal, Kazemi Adachi, Luca G. Talamo, S. Dickson, Sheng-Xiang Lin, Robert D. Delaney, Benjamin Brubaker, Jonathan M. Kindem, Nicholas Frattini, Konrad W. Lehnert, Cindy A. Regal

Published Mar 12, 2024• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A transducer capable of faithfully converting single quanta between microwave and optical frequencies would enable an optical network of superconducting quantum computers. A primary challenge in the ongoing effort to bridge these frequency scales is the detrimental effect that optical photons have on superconducting circuits. This manuscript details the membrane-optomechanical Fabry-P´erot architecture we employ in a high-efficiency electrooptomechanical transducer. We use a chemical bonding process to create an integrated membrane-mirror etalon assembly that is robust against thermal misalignment upon cryogenic cooling. Our choice of input coupling mirror and cavity geometry allow flexible operation of the transducer in the presence of any additional nonidealities in the optical cavity, such as additional scattering loss associated with one mirror. Our transducer is unique in its ability to operate with continuous laser illumination without substantially impacting the superconducting circuitry of the transducer or a superconducting transmon qubit linked to its microwave input. We quantify the effect of laser light on the superconductor, measuring the effective occupancy of the transducer’s superconducting circuit with varying optical power to be less than 0.15 photons even at powers greatly exceeding that needed for transducer operation. We also measure the coherence time T2 of a qubit attached to the transducer for optical readout, and determine that continuous laser pumping of the transducer has no measurable effect.

DOI
10.1117/12.3008938

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A transducer capable of faithfully converting single quanta between microwave and optical frequencies would enable an optical network of superconducting quantum computers. A primary challenge in the ongoing effort to bridge these frequency scales is the detrimental effect that optical photons have on superconducting circuits. This manuscript details the membrane-optomechanical Fabry-P´erot architecture we employ in a high-efficiency electrooptomechanical transducer. We use a chemical bonding process to create an integrated membrane-mirror etalon assembly that is robust against thermal misalignment upon cryogenic cooling. Our choice of input coupling mirror and cavity geometry allow flexible operation of the transducer in the presence of any additional nonidealities in the optical cavity, such as additional scattering loss associated with one mirror. Our transducer is unique in its ability to operate with continuous laser illumination without substantially impacting the superconducting circuitry of the transducer or a superconducting transmon qubit linked to its microwave input. We quantify the effect of laser light on the superconductor, measuring the effective occupancy of the transducer’s superconducting circuit with varying optical power to be less than 0.15 photons even at powers greatly exceeding that needed for transducer operation. We also measure the coherence time T2 of a qubit attached to the transducer for optical readout, and determine that continuous laser pumping of the transducer has no measurable effect.
Continued development of complementary capabilities in two quantum technologies—information processing with microwave-frequency superconducting circuits and networks based on optical-frequency photonic links—have motivated an effort to bridge the frequency gap between them with a transducer capable of preserving quantum signals. At the same time, mechanical resonators have been engineered to interact with electromagnetic waves across the spectrum in a variety of tailorable physical implementations. This thesis describes advances in a transducer using the mechanical mode of a silicon nitride membrane as an intermediary permitting coupling between a superconducting resonant LC circuit and a Fabry-Pérot optical cavity. With this choice of architecture, we have developed transducers of unparalleled efficiency and the unique capability to run continuously without appreciably degrading the performance of the superconductor from scattered optical photons. We have been able to laser-cool the mechanical mode to an occupation of less than one photon, and achieved transducer performance capable of converting a single microwave photon to optical frequencies with a signal-to-noise ratio of 1/3. Furthermore, operating the transducer does not cause appreciable heating of a superconducting transmon qubit linked to its microwave input port. With progress towards a quantum-enabled interface, we have started to develop capabilities towards implementing protocols that optically verify the quantum performance of the transducer.
One of the main thrusts of quantum science over the past few decades has been the developmentof quantum networks for the purposes of secure communication, enhanced detector sensitivity, and advanced computing. Realizing such a network of superconducting quantum processors that communicate via optical fibers would leverage the high-fidelity quantum signal processing of superconducting circuits and the thermal robustness of infrared light but requires a transducer capable of connecting these two sections of the electromagnetic spectrum separated by five orders of magnitude in energy. This thesis explores the optimization of a transducer architecture where the mechanical mode of a Si3N4 membrane mediates the coupling of a superconducting lumped element circuit and a Fabry-Perot optical cavity. We aim to maximize the coupling of these three harmonic oscillator to each other while shielding them from noisy processes that would decohere quantum signals. This architecture has led to transducers with unparalleled efficiency and continuous operation. Enhanced cooperativity between the optical cavity and mechanical oscillator enabled optically-detected readout of a superconducting qubit and optomechanical ground state cooling with negligible laser-induced heating of the superconducting qubit and microwave circuit. To surpass the threshold for quantum-enabled operation, we subsequently improved the cooperativity between the microwave circuit and mechanical oscillator by reducing the microwave loss and noise from two-level-system-like defects in the Si3N4 dielectric. When combined with enhanced coupling between the circuit and membrane or improved mechanical isolation, we project that this architecture will be capable of transducing quantum signals between the microwave and optical regimes with a signal-to-noise greater than one.
The demonstration of a quantum link between microwave and optical frequencies would be an important step toward the realization of a quantum network of superconducting processors.A major impediment to quantum electro-optic transduction in all platforms explored to date is noise added by thermal occupation of modes involved in the transduction process, and it has proved difficult to realize low thermal occupancy concurrently with other desirable features like high duty cycle and high efficiency.In this work, we present an efficient and continuously operating electro-optomechanical transducer whose mechanical mode has been optically sideband cooled to its quantum ground state.The transducer achieves a maximum efficiency of 47% and minimum input-referred added noise of 3.2 photons in upconversion.Moreover, the thermal occupancy of the transducer's microwave mode is minimally affected by continuous laser illumination with power more than 2 orders of magnitude greater than that required for optomechanical ground-state cooling.
Summary form only given. The motion of a micromechanical resonator coupled simultaneously to a high-finesse optical cavity and a microwave resonator can be used to transduce the fragile quantum states generated in the realm of microwave superconducting circuits into optical photons that can transport quantum information over large distances in telecom optical fibers at room temperature. We have engineered the optical and mechanical properties of thin membranes patterned in a suspended high-stress Si3N4 film to realize such a hybrid opto-electro-mechanical system. An optical Fabry-Perot cavity with a finesse exceeding 12 000 was realized between a highly reflective photonic crystal patch realized on the suspended membrane and a conventional high-reflectivity mirror. The electromechanical coupling with a nearby planar superconducting circuit is achieved by approaching the membrane at a sub-micron distance from an on-chip interdigitated capacitor. By operating the hybrid opto-electro-mechanical system in a cryogenic environment, the photon-phonon swap rates between microwave, mechanical, and optical degrees of freedom is expected to overcome the mechanical decoherence rate. An artist view of the device envisioned is depicted on Figure 1.
The motion of a micromechanical resonator coupled simultaneously to a high-finesse optical cavity and a microwave resonator can be used to transduce the fragile quantum states generated in the realm of microwave superconducting circuits into optical photons that can transport quantum information over large distances in telecom optical fibers at room temperature. We have engineered the optical and mechanical properties of thin membranes patterned in a suspended high-stress Si3N4 film to realize such a hybrid opto-electro-mechanical system. An optical Fabry-Perot cavity with a finesse exceeding 12 000 was realized between a highly reflective photonic crystal patch realized on the suspended membrane and a conventional high-reflectivity mirror. The electromechanical coupling with a nearby planar superconducting circuit is achieved by approaching the membrane at a sub-micron distance from an on-chip interdigitated capacitor. By operating the hybrid opto-electro-mechanical system in a cryogenic environment, the photon-phonon swap rates between microwave, mechanical, and optical degrees of freedom is expected to overcome the mechanical decoherence rate.
A quantum interface between microwave and optical photons is essential for entangling remote superconducting quantum processors. To preserve fragile quantum states, a transducer must operate efficiently while generating less than one photon of noise referred to its input. Here, we present a platform that meets these criteria, utilizing a combination of electrostatic and optomechanical interactions in devices made entirely from crystalline silicon. This platform's small mechanical dissipation and low optical absorption enable ground-state radiative cooling, resulting in quantum-enabled operation with a continuous laser drive. Under the optimal settings for high efficiency (low noise), we measure an external efficiency of 2.2%2.2\%2.2% (0.47%0.47\%0.47%) and an input-referred added noise of 0.940.940.94 (0.580.580.58) in microwave-to-optics conversion. We quantify the transducer throughput using the efficiency-bandwidth product, finding it exceeds previous demonstrations with similar noise performance by approximately two orders of magnitude, thereby paving a practical path to interconnecting remote superconducting qubits.