Design and control of Josephson circuits for the protection and processing of quantum information
Philippe Campagne-Ibarcq
Abstract
This thesis explores applications of Josephson circuits for protecting and processing quantum information. The work is structured around three main research directions. First, we investigate quantum error correction for a logical qubit encoded in Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill (GKP) grid states within a high-quality microwave resonator. We extract error syndromes through stroboscopic interactions with an auxiliary qubit and apply error correction via Markovian feedback. However, we identify a key limitation: noise propagating from the auxiliary qubit introduces an uncorrectable error channel. To mitigate this, we propose mediating the interaction through a buffer resonator, itself prepared in a GKP state. We demonstrate that asymmetric preparation of the buffer quadratures can robustly suppress propagating errors. Second, we introduce a distinct approach to GKP error correction, where the target resonator interacts with an auxiliary mode through modular operators that commute with logical operators. This configuration prevents noise from propagating at the logical level. Third, we propose a robust on-chip implementation of tunable coupling and circulation using a reconfigurable traveling wave parametric converter. This device supports two propagation modes with different wave velocities, allowing phase-matching of conversion processes between counterpropagating signals. This work contributes to advancing error-corrected quantum information processing with Josephson circuits, addressing key challenges in quantum error correction and circuit design.