@phdthesis{21863,
abstract = {Atoms and photons, two things so different but yet so alike. The former, the building block of matter, something we learn about in school and imagine it as some tiny marbles encircled by other tinier marbles. The latter, an electromagnetic wave, a light particle or an excitation of the electromagnetic field. Quantum mechanics tells us about the properties of these two entities. And even if it sounds, looks and writes counter-intuitive, it has proven right for over a century now.
In this work, I elaborate on how we tested the laws of quantum mechanics and how we used them learn more about the tiny building blocks of nature and the fields they use to talk to each other. The atoms we use, are artificial. Superconducting qubits, small electrical circuits with quantized energy levels behave like electrons that transition between different orbitals in an atom. One of the qubits' advantages, is also a big disadvantage. We design the circuits' energy levels and fabricate them in a cleanroom. This allows for arbitrary spaced energy levels but in contrast to real atoms, prevents two superconducting qubits from being alike. Still, this qubit platform is one of the frontrunners for future quantum computing technology and testing fundamental physics due to their scalability.
We interface superconducting qubits, which operate in the GHz regime, with microwave photons. We use 3D aluminum cavities as mediators between qubits and photons. The cavities allow for non-destructive readout of the qubit state, they shield the qubits from noise at the qubit frequency and they give us an easy way to frequency-tune these joint systems.
We need to operate superconducting qubits and their cavities at millikelvin temperatures in dilution refrigerators. At higher temperatures, superconductivity suffers and even worse, the environment is filled with thermal noise photons. This poses a fundamental limitation on the scalability of superconducting qubit devices. Also connecting multiple devices in different fridges does not work over room temperature links because the microwave photons used for this purpose will be covered in noise and the quantum information they carry, will be unusable.
Infrared photons do not suffer from this noise problem since there are close to zero thermal noise photons at their frequencies at room temperature. We cannot simply interface superconducting devices with optical photons due their frequency mismatch and the destructive effect of optical photons on superconductors. Therefore, we use microwave-to-optics transducers that allow to convert microwave photons into optical ones and vice-versa. The transducers that we use are macroscopic electro-optic transducers using the Pockels effect in a disk-shaped Lithium Niobate whispering gallery mode resonator. By using a strong optical pump, photons from the two frequency domains experience a beam-splitter interaction and get converted from one to the other.
We measure the generated optical photons using elaborate optical setups, optical heterodyning and single photon detectors to gain knowledge about the qubit state or the converted microwave photons. Bridging the microwave and the optical world allows us to take advantage of both of their strengths but it also requires deep knowledge about both of their working principles.
In this work, we describe two experiments that our group conducted to showcase the opportunities that arise from interfacing superconducting qubits with optical photons but also the pitfalls, one may encounter on the way.
In the first experiment, we managed to all-optically read out a superconducting qubit. We show that the assignment fidelity, the probability that a measurement of the qubit state matches the prepared state, is close to equal for all-optical, microwave-to-optics and conventional microwave readout. We show T1 and T2 measurements for all three readout types and give an analysis of the noise caused by the optics. Finally, we show that the infrared light does not affect the qubit performance in a negative way but that the heating it causes does. This is an important insight that we used in the next experiment.
The second experiment is the upconversion of itinerant single microwave photons to the optical domain. We show that we can generate single microwave photons from a qubit-cavity system. We upconvert these single photons, measure them with a single photon detector and reconstruct their shape. By conducting a single photon Rabi measurement, we show correlations between the microwave and the optical domain. And by thorough signal-to-noise measurements and noise analysis, we find that we can generate single infrared photons with high signal-to-noise ratio 5.1 and low transducer added noise (<0.012 quanta). We show that this measurement creates a path towards entanglement of a superconducting qubit and an optical photon and what parameters need to be improved to achieve it. Additionally, this experiment is a proof of principle for an on-demand infrared single photon source. More generally, it allows to link microwave quantum technology in general to the optical domain.},
author = {Werner, Thomas},
issn = {2663-337X},
keywords = {Superconducting qubits, Quantum optics, Single photons and quantum effects, Nonlinear optics},
pages = {97},
publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
title = {{Interfacing superconducting qubits with optical photons}},
doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-21863},
year = {2026},
}
@article{19073,
abstract = {The rapid development of superconducting quantum hardware is expected to run into substantial restrictions on scalability because error correction in a cryogenic environment has stringent input–output requirements. Classical data centres rely on fibre-optic interconnects to remove similar networking bottlenecks. In the same spirit, ultracold electro-optic links have been proposed and used to generate qubit control signals, or to replace cryogenic readout electronics. So far, these approaches have suffered from either low efficiency, low bandwidth or additional noise. Here we realize radio-over-fibre qubit readout at millikelvin temperatures. We use one device to simultaneously perform upconversion and downconversion between microwave and optical frequencies and so do not require any active or passive cryogenic microwave equipment. We demonstrate all-optical single-shot readout in a circulator-free readout scheme. Importantly, we do not observe any direct radiation impact on the qubit state, despite the absence of shielding elements. This compatibility between superconducting circuits and telecom-wavelength light is not only a prerequisite to establish modular quantum networks, but it is also relevant for multiplexed readout of superconducting photon detectors and classical superconducting logic.},
author = {Arnold, Georg M and Werner, Thomas and Sahu, Rishabh and Kapoor, Lucky and Qiu, Liu and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {1745-2481},
journal = {Nature Physics},
publisher = {Springer Nature},
title = {{All-optical superconducting qubit readout}},
doi = {10.1038/s41567-024-02741-4},
volume = {21},
year = {2025},
}
@phdthesis{18871,
abstract = {"Can we do this with a new type of computer - a quantum computer?". This famous
quotation of the brilliant Richard Feynman within a conference talk on "Simulating physics
with computers.” is often reverently praised as the origin of the field of quantum computing.
The idea was to use quantum mechanical systems itself to simulate "Nature", which is
inherently quantum mechanical. Now, 43 years later, the theoretical framework of how such
a computer can operate has been developed. Two main important concepts for a potential
quantum supremacy, superposition and entanglement, have been exploited to design quantum
algorithms to significantly speed up certain tasks. Yet, the specific hardware implementation
is still far from being certain, in fact the race between the most promising platforms such as
superconducting qubits, bosonic codes, cold atoms, trapped ions, optical computing as well
as spin qubits has recently intensified. If one also includes the most mature applications of
quantum communication technologies, secure quantum key distribution and quantum random
number generators, as part of a quantum information technology ecosystem, we are confronted
with a plethora of different materials, concepts, and also operation frequencies. While
superconducting qubits, bosonic codes and spin qubits work in the regime of approximately 5
GHz and are controlled by electrical fields, trapped ions, cold atoms, and optical quantum
computing operate with light in the infrared or visible range.
Consequently, a quantum frequency converter or microwave-optic transducer is required
to interface the different frequency domains or establish a long-range network connection
with suitable telecom fibers. In fact, the combination of different frequency regimes is also
an essential part in our classical modern communication network, where computations are
performed in electrical circuits and the information exchange over longer distances happens
via optical fibers. However, the specific challenges specific to building a quantum computer,
also apply to the development of such a quantum frequency transducer: 1) As we deal with
single excitations as the carrier of information, i.e. the smallest possible quantity, the signal
can easily be corrupted by other noise sources which needs to be avoided by all means. This
is also the reason why microwave quantum computers operate at temperature environments
close to zero temperature (< 0.1 Kelvin) to avoid corruption by thermal noise. 2) The
frequency interface generally needs to preserve the phase of the signal as an essential part
of the quantum state. And 3) Quantum signals cannot be copied which would be a typical
strategy to account for errors in classical computers. And finally, there is a challenge specific to
microwave-optic transducers: While quantum computers are operating in one specific frequency
domain, microwave-optic transducers combine microwave and optical fields in one device.
This results in the particular challenge that high-energy optical radiation, which is usually
well-shielded from superconducting microwave quantum processors, are now an essential part
of the device. The concomitant optical radiation in the operating transducer will inevitably
have a detrimental effect on the superconducting microwave components. Together with the
requirement of minimal background noise for quantum-limited operation as described above,
v
heating from the absorption of optical photons within the same device where single microwave
excitations are processed forms a formidable challenge.
This thesis aims to address this challenge by developing microwave-optic transducers where
the impact of optical absorption on superconducting circuits in general and superconducting
qubits specifically can be mitigated. In our first approach, we developed a compact device
with optimized interaction strengths between the different frequency domains. This minimizes
the optical powers used for transducer operation and thus the optical absorption heating. This
work was - to the best of our knowledge - the first comprehensive noise study, in an integrated
microwave-optic transducer. Unfortunately, we saw that the optical absorption heating added
noise way above a single excitation. Consequently, a potential quantum signal would have
been buried in the noise, added by the transduction.
Building on this insight, we utilized a three-dimensional microwave-optic transducer instead
of an integrated device. The larger heat capacity of the macroscopic device with a size
of a few millimeters can absorb a larger fraction of the optical heating before it increases
the temperature of the device. This allowed us to interface the transducer directly with a
superconducting qubit to readout the qubit state in a novel all-optical manner. We showed
that the microwave-optic transducer can be operated in a regime in which optical fields don’t
harm the sensitive qubit. This is an important prerequisite for the operation of microwave-optic
transducers in conjunction with microwave quantum processors and brings the integration and
seamless orchestration of different frequency components in a quantum network a step closer.
},
author = {Arnold, Georg M},
issn = {2663-337X},
pages = {135},
publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
title = {{Microwave-optic interconnects for superconducting circuits}},
doi = {10.15479/at:ista:18871},
year = {2025},
}
@article{19280,
abstract = {Recent advancements in superconducting circuits have enabled the experimental study of collective behavior of precisely controlled intermediate-scale ensembles of qubits. In this work, we demonstrate an atomic frequency comb formed by individual artificial atoms strongly coupled to a single resonator mode. We observe periodic microwave pulses that originate from a single coherent excitation dynamically interacting with the multiqubit ensemble. We show that this revival dynamics emerges as a consequence of the constructive and periodic rephasing of the five superconducting qubits forming the vacuum Rabi split comb. In the future, similar devices could be used as a memory with in situ tunable storage time or as an on-chip periodic pulse generator with nonclassical photon statistics.},
author = {Redchenko, Elena and Zens, M. and Zemlicka, Martin and Peruzzo, Matilda and Hassani, Farid and Sett, Riya and Zielinski, Przemyslaw D and Dhar, H. S. and Krimer, D. O. and Rotter, S. and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {1079-7114},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = {6},
publisher = {American Physical Society},
title = {{Observation of collapse and revival in a superconducting atomic frequency comb}},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.063601},
volume = {134},
year = {2025},
}
@phdthesis{12900,
abstract = {About a 100 years ago, we discovered that our universe is inherently noisy, that is, measuring any physical quantity with a precision beyond a certain point is not possible because of an omnipresent inherent noise. We call this - the quantum noise. Certain physical processes allow this quantum noise to get correlated in conjugate physical variables. These quantum correlations can be used to go beyond the potential of our inherently noisy universe and obtain a quantum advantage over the classical applications.
Quantum noise being inherent also means that, at the fundamental level, the physical quantities are not well defined and therefore, objects can stay in multiple states at the same time. For example, the position of a particle not being well defined means that the particle is in multiple positions at the same time. About 4 decades ago, we started exploring the possibility of using objects which can be in multiple states at the same time to increase the dimensionality in computation. Thus, the field of quantum computing was born. We discovered that using quantum entanglement, a property closely related to quantum correlations, can be used to speed up computation of certain problems, such as factorisation of large numbers, faster than any known classical algorithm. Thus began the pursuit to make quantum computers a reality.
Till date, we have explored quantum control over many physical systems including photons, spins, atoms, ions and even simple circuits made up of superconducting material. However, there persists one ubiquitous theme. The more readily a system interacts with an external field or matter, the more easily we can control it. But this also means that such a system can easily interact with a noisy environment and quickly lose its coherence. Consequently, such systems like electron spins need to be protected from the environment to ensure the longevity of their coherence. Other systems like nuclear spins are naturally protected as they do not interact easily with the environment. But, due to the same reason, it is harder to interact with such systems.
After decades of experimentation with various systems, we are convinced that no one type of quantum system would be the best for all the quantum applications. We would need hybrid systems which are all interconnected - much like the current internet where all sorts of devices can all talk to each other - but now for quantum devices. A quantum internet.
Optical photons are the best contenders to carry information for the quantum internet. They can carry quantum information cheaply and without much loss - the same reasons which has made them the backbone of our current internet. Following this direction, many systems, like trapped ions, have already demonstrated successful quantum links over a large distances using optical photons. However, some of the most promising contenders for quantum computing which are based on microwave frequencies have been left behind. This is because high energy optical photons can adversely affect fragile low-energy microwave systems.
In this thesis, we present substantial progress on this missing quantum link between microwave and optics using electrooptical nonlinearities in lithium niobate. The nonlinearities are enhanced by using resonant cavities for all the involved modes leading to observation of strong direct coupling between optical and microwave frequencies. With this strong coupling we are not only able to achieve almost 100\% internal conversion efficiency with low added noise, thus presenting a quantum-enabled transducer, but also we are able to observe novel effects such as cooling of a microwave mode using optics. The strong coupling regime also leads to direct observation of dynamical backaction effect between microwave and optical frequencies which are studied in detail here. Finally, we also report first observation of microwave-optics entanglement in form of two-mode squeezed vacuum squeezed 0.7dB below vacuum level.
With this new bridge between microwave and optics, the microwave-based quantum technologies can finally be a part of a quantum network which is based on optical photons - putting us one step closer to a future with quantum internet. },
author = {Sahu, Rishabh},
isbn = {978-3-99078-030-5},
issn = {2663-337X},
keywords = {quantum optics, electrooptics, quantum networks, quantum communication, transduction},
pages = {190},
publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
title = {{Cavity quantum electrooptics}},
doi = {10.15479/at:ista:12900},
year = {2023},
}
@article{13106,
abstract = {Quantum entanglement is a key resource in currently developed quantum technologies. Sharing this fragile property between superconducting microwave circuits and optical or atomic systems would enable new functionalities, but this has been hindered by an energy scale mismatch of >104 and the resulting mutually imposed loss and noise. In this work, we created and verified entanglement between microwave and optical fields in a millikelvin environment. Using an optically pulsed superconducting electro-optical device, we show entanglement between propagating microwave and optical fields in the continuous variable domain. This achievement not only paves the way for entanglement between superconducting circuits and telecom wavelength light, but also has wide-ranging implications for hybrid quantum networks in the context of modularization, scaling, sensing, and cross-platform verification.},
author = {Sahu, Rishabh and Qiu, Liu and Hease, William J and Arnold, Georg M and Minoguchi, Y. and Rabl, P. and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {1095-9203},
journal = {Science},
keywords = {Multidisciplinary},
number = {6646},
pages = {718--721},
publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science},
title = {{Entangling microwaves with light}},
doi = {10.1126/science.adg3812},
volume = {380},
year = {2023},
}
@phdthesis{13175,
abstract = {About a 100 years ago, we discovered that our universe is inherently noisy, that is, measuring any physical quantity with a precision beyond a certain point is not possible because of an omnipresent inherent noise. We call this - the quantum noise. Certain physical processes allow this quantum noise to get correlated in conjugate physical variables. These quantum correlations can be used to go beyond the potential of our inherently noisy universe and obtain a quantum advantage over the classical applications.
Quantum noise being inherent also means that, at the fundamental level, the physical quantities are not well defined and therefore, objects can stay in multiple states at the same time. For example, the position of a particle not being well defined means that the particle is in multiple positions at the same time. About 4 decades ago, we started exploring the possibility of using objects which can be in multiple states at the same time to increase the dimensionality in computation. Thus, the field of quantum computing was born. We discovered that using quantum entanglement, a property closely related to quantum correlations, can be used to speed up computation of certain problems, such as factorisation of large numbers, faster than any known classical algorithm. Thus began the pursuit to make quantum computers a reality.
Till date, we have explored quantum control over many physical systems including photons, spins, atoms, ions and even simple circuits made up of superconducting material. However, there persists one ubiquitous theme. The more readily a system interacts with an external field or matter, the more easily we can control it. But this also means that such a system can easily interact with a noisy environment and quickly lose its coherence. Consequently, such systems like electron spins need to be protected from the environment to ensure the longevity of their coherence. Other systems like nuclear spins are naturally protected as they do not interact easily with the environment. But, due to the same reason, it is harder to interact with such systems.
After decades of experimentation with various systems, we are convinced that no one type of quantum system would be the best for all the quantum applications. We would need hybrid systems which are all interconnected - much like the current internet where all sorts of devices can all talk to each other - but now for quantum devices. A quantum internet.
Optical photons are the best contenders to carry information for the quantum internet. They can carry quantum information cheaply and without much loss - the same reasons which has made them the backbone of our current internet. Following this direction, many systems, like trapped ions, have already demonstrated successful quantum links over a large distances using optical photons. However, some of the most promising contenders for quantum computing which are based on microwave frequencies have been left behind. This is because high energy optical photons can adversely affect fragile low-energy microwave systems.
In this thesis, we present substantial progress on this missing quantum link between microwave and optics using electrooptical nonlinearities in lithium niobate. The nonlinearities are enhanced by using resonant cavities for all the involved modes leading to observation of strong direct coupling between optical and microwave frequencies. With this strong coupling we are not only able to achieve almost 100\% internal conversion efficiency with low added noise, thus presenting a quantum-enabled transducer, but also we are able to observe novel effects such as cooling of a microwave mode using optics. The strong coupling regime also leads to direct observation of dynamical backaction effect between microwave and optical frequencies which are studied in detail here. Finally, we also report first observation of microwave-optics entanglement in form of two-mode squeezed vacuum squeezed 0.7dB below vacuum level.
With this new bridge between microwave and optics, the microwave-based quantum technologies can finally be a part of a quantum network which is based on optical photons - putting us one step closer to a future with quantum internet. },
author = {Sahu, Rishabh},
isbn = {978-3-99078-030-5},
issn = {2663-337X},
keywords = {quantum optics, electrooptics, quantum networks, quantum communication, transduction},
pages = {202},
publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
title = {{Cavity quantum electrooptics}},
doi = {10.15479/at:ista:13175},
year = {2023},
}
@article{14517,
abstract = {State-of-the-art transmon qubits rely on large capacitors, which systematically improve their coherence due to reduced surface-loss participation. However, this approach increases both the footprint and the parasitic cross-coupling and is ultimately limited by radiation losses—a potential roadblock for scaling up quantum processors to millions of qubits. In this work we present transmon qubits with sizes as low as 36 × 39 µm2 with 100-nm-wide vacuum-gap capacitors that are micromachined from commercial silicon-on-insulator wafers and shadow evaporated with aluminum. We achieve a vacuum participation ratio up to 99.6% in an in-plane design that is compatible with standard coplanar circuits. Qubit relaxationtime measurements for small gaps with high zero-point electric field variance of up to 22 V/m reveal a double exponential decay indicating comparably strong qubit interaction with long-lived two-level systems. The exceptionally high selectivity of up to 20 dB to the superconductor-vacuum interface allows us to precisely back out the sub-single-photon dielectric loss tangent of aluminum oxide previously exposed to ambient conditions. In terms of future scaling potential, we achieve a ratio of qubit quality factor to a footprint area equal to 20 µm−2, which is comparable with the highest T1 devices relying on larger geometries, a value that could improve substantially for lower surface-loss superconductors. },
author = {Zemlicka, Martin and Redchenko, Elena and Peruzzo, Matilda and Hassani, Farid and Trioni, Andrea and Barzanjeh, Shabir and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {2331-7019},
journal = {Physical Review Applied},
number = {4},
publisher = {American Physical Society},
title = {{Compact vacuum-gap transmon qubits: Selective and sensitive probes for superconductor surface losses}},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevApplied.20.044054},
volume = {20},
year = {2023},
}
@article{13200,
abstract = {Recent quantum technologies have established precise quantum control of various microscopic systems using electromagnetic waves. Interfaces based on cryogenic cavity electro-optic systems are particularly promising, due to the direct interaction between microwave and optical fields in the quantum regime. Quantum optical control of superconducting microwave circuits has been precluded so far due to the weak electro-optical coupling as well as quasi-particles induced by the pump laser. Here we report the coherent control of a superconducting microwave cavity using laser pulses in a multimode electro-optical device at millikelvin temperature with near-unity cooperativity. Both the stationary and instantaneous responses of the microwave and optical modes comply with the coherent electro-optical interaction, and reveal only minuscule amount of excess back-action with an unanticipated time delay. Our demonstration enables wide ranges of applications beyond quantum transductions, from squeezing and quantum non-demolition measurements of microwave fields, to entanglement generation and hybrid quantum networks.},
author = {Qiu, Liu and Sahu, Rishabh and Hease, William J and Arnold, Georg M and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {2041-1723},
journal = {Nature Communications},
publisher = {Nature Research},
title = {{Coherent optical control of a superconducting microwave cavity via electro-optical dynamical back-action}},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-023-39493-3},
volume = {14},
year = {2023},
}
@unpublished{18953,
abstract = {The rapid development of superconducting quantum hardware is expected to run into significant I/O restrictions due to the need for large-scale error correction in a cryogenic environment. Classical data centers rely on fiber-optic interconnects to remove similar networking bottlenecks and to allow for reconfigurable, software-defined infrastructures. In the same spirit, ultra-cold electro-optic links have been proposed and used to generate qubit control signals, or to replace cryogenic readout electronics. So far, the latter suffered from either low efficiency, low bandwidth and the need for additional microwave drives, or breaking of Cooper pairs and qubit states. In this work we realize electro-optic microwave photonics at millikelvin temperatures to implement a radio-over-fiber qubit readout that does not require any active or passive cryogenic microwave equipment. We demonstrate all-optical single-shot-readout by means of the Jaynes-Cummings nonlinearity in a circulator-free readout scheme. Importantly, we do not observe any direct radiation impact on the qubit state as verified with high-fidelity quantum-non-demolition measurements despite the absence of shielding elements. This compatibility between superconducting circuits and telecom wavelength light is not only a prerequisite to establish modular quantum networks, it is also relevant for multiplexed readout of superconducting photon detectors and classical superconducting logic. Moreover, this experiment showcases the potential of electro-optic radiometry in harsh environments - an electronics-free sensing principle that extends into the THz regime with applications in radio astronomy, planetary missions and earth observation.},
author = {Arnold, Georg M and Werner, Thomas and Sahu, Rishabh and Kapoor, Lucky and Qiu, Liu and Fink, Johannes M},
booktitle = {arXiv},
title = {{All-optical single-shot readout of a superconducting qubit}},
doi = {10.48550/ARXIV.2310.16817},
year = {2023},
}
@article{13117,
abstract = {The ability to control the direction of scattered light is crucial to provide flexibility and scalability for a wide range of on-chip applications, such as integrated photonics, quantum information processing, and nonlinear optics. Tunable directionality can be achieved by applying external magnetic fields that modify optical selection rules, by using nonlinear effects, or interactions with vibrations. However, these approaches are less suitable to control microwave photon propagation inside integrated superconducting quantum devices. Here, we demonstrate on-demand tunable directional scattering based on two periodically modulated transmon qubits coupled to a transmission line at a fixed distance. By changing the relative phase between the modulation tones, we realize unidirectional forward or backward photon scattering. Such an in-situ switchable mirror represents a versatile tool for intra- and inter-chip microwave photonic processors. In the future, a lattice of qubits can be used to realize topological circuits that exhibit strong nonreciprocity or chirality.},
author = {Redchenko, Elena and Poshakinskiy, Alexander V. and Sett, Riya and Zemlicka, Martin and Poddubny, Alexander N. and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {2041-1723},
journal = {Nature Communications},
publisher = {Springer Nature},
title = {{Tunable directional photon scattering from a pair of superconducting qubits}},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-023-38761-6},
volume = {14},
year = {2023},
}
@phdthesis{12366,
abstract = {Recent substantial advances in the feld of superconducting circuits have shown its
potential as a leading platform for future quantum computing. In contrast to classical
computers based on bits that are represented by a single binary value, 0 or 1, quantum
bits (or qubits) can be in a superposition of both. Thus, quantum computers can store
and handle more information at the same time and a quantum advantage has already
been demonstrated for two types of computational tasks. Rapid progress in academic
and industry labs accelerates the development of superconducting processors which may
soon fnd applications in complex computations, chemical simulations, cryptography, and
optimization. Now that these machines are scaled up to tackle such problems the questions
of qubit interconnects and networks becomes very relevant. How to route signals on-chip
between diferent processor components? What is the most efcient way to entangle
qubits? And how to then send and process entangled signals between distant cryostats
hosting superconducting processors?
In this thesis, we are looking for solutions to these problems by studying the collective
behavior of superconducting qubit ensembles. We frst demonstrate on-demand tunable
directional scattering of microwave photons from a pair of qubits in a waveguide. Such a
device can route microwave photons on-chip with a high diode efciency. Then we focus
on studying ultra-strong coupling regimes between light (microwave photons) and matter
(superconducting qubits), a regime that could be promising for extremely fast multi-qubit
entanglement generation. Finally, we show coherent pulse storage and periodic revivals
in a fve qubit ensemble strongly coupled to a resonator. Such a reconfgurable storage
device could be used as part of a quantum repeater that is needed for longer-distance
quantum communication.
The achieved high degree of control over multi-qubit ensembles highlights not only the
beautiful physics of circuit quantum electrodynamics, it also represents the frst step
toward new quantum simulation and communication methods, and certain techniques
may also fnd applications in future superconducting quantum computing hardware.
},
author = {Redchenko, Elena},
isbn = {978-3-99078-024-4},
issn = {2663-337X},
pages = {168},
publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
title = {{Controllable states of superconducting Qubit ensembles}},
doi = {10.15479/at:ista:12132},
year = {2022},
}
@article{10924,
abstract = {Solid-state microwave systems offer strong interactions for fast quantum logic and sensing but photons at telecom wavelength are the ideal choice for high-density low-loss quantum interconnects. A general-purpose interface that can make use of single photon effects requires < 1 input noise quanta, which has remained elusive due to either low efficiency or pump induced heating. Here we demonstrate coherent electro-optic modulation on nanosecond-timescales with only 0.16+0.02−0.01 microwave input noise photons with a total bidirectional transduction efficiency of 8.7% (or up to 15% with 0.41+0.02−0.02), as required for near-term heralded quantum network protocols. The use of short and high-power optical pump pulses also enables near-unity cooperativity of the electro-optic interaction leading to an internal pure conversion efficiency of up to 99.5%. Together with the low mode occupancy this provides evidence for electro-optic laser cooling and vacuum amplification as predicted a decade ago.},
author = {Sahu, Rishabh and Hease, William J and Rueda Sanchez, Alfredo R and Arnold, Georg M and Qiu, Liu and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {2041-1723},
journal = {Nature Communications},
publisher = {Springer Nature},
title = {{Quantum-enabled operation of a microwave-optical interface}},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-022-28924-2},
volume = {13},
year = {2022},
}
@article{7910,
abstract = {Quantum illumination uses entangled signal-idler photon pairs to boost the detection efficiency of low-reflectivity objects in environments with bright thermal noise. Its advantage is particularly evident at low signal powers, a promising feature for applications such as noninvasive biomedical scanning or low-power short-range radar. Here, we experimentally investigate the concept of quantum illumination at microwave frequencies. We generate entangled fields to illuminate a room-temperature object at a distance of 1 m in a free-space detection setup. We implement a digital phase-conjugate receiver based on linear quadrature measurements that outperforms a symmetric classical noise radar in the same conditions, despite the entanglement-breaking signal path. Starting from experimental data, we also simulate the case of perfect idler photon number detection, which results in a quantum advantage compared with the relative classical benchmark. Our results highlight the opportunities and challenges in the way toward a first room-temperature application of microwave quantum circuits.},
author = {Barzanjeh, Shabir and Pirandola, S. and Vitali, D and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {2375-2548},
journal = {Science Advances},
number = {19},
publisher = {AAAS},
title = {{Microwave quantum illumination using a digital receiver}},
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.abb0451},
volume = {6},
year = {2020},
}
@article{8038,
abstract = {Microelectromechanical systems and integrated photonics provide the basis for many reliable and compact circuit elements in modern communication systems. Electro-opto-mechanical devices are currently one of the leading approaches to realize ultra-sensitive, low-loss transducers for an emerging quantum information technology. Here we present an on-chip microwave frequency converter based on a planar aluminum on silicon nitride platform that is compatible with slot-mode coupled photonic crystal cavities. We show efficient frequency conversion between two propagating microwave modes mediated by the radiation pressure interaction with a metalized dielectric nanobeam oscillator. We achieve bidirectional coherent conversion with a total device efficiency of up to ~60%, a dynamic range of 2 × 10^9 photons/s and an instantaneous bandwidth of up to 1.7 kHz. A high fidelity quantum state transfer would be possible if the drive dependent output noise of currently ~14 photons s^−1 Hz^−1 is further reduced. Such a silicon nitride based transducer is in situ reconfigurable and could be used for on-chip classical and quantum signal routing and filtering, both for microwave and hybrid microwave-optical applications.},
author = {Fink, Johannes M and Kalaee, M. and Norte, R. and Pitanti, A. and Painter, O.},
issn = {2058-9565},
journal = {Quantum Science and Technology},
number = {3},
publisher = {IOP Publishing},
title = {{Efficient microwave frequency conversion mediated by a photonics compatible silicon nitride nanobeam oscillator}},
doi = {10.1088/2058-9565/ab8dce},
volume = {5},
year = {2020},
}
@article{8755,
abstract = {The superconducting circuit community has recently discovered the promising potential of superinductors. These circuit elements have a characteristic impedance exceeding the resistance quantum RQ ≈ 6.45 kΩ which leads to a suppression of ground state charge fluctuations. Applications include the realization of hardware protected qubits for fault tolerant quantum computing, improved coupling to small dipole moment objects and defining a new quantum metrology standard for the ampere. In this work we refute the widespread notion that superinductors can only be implemented based on kinetic inductance, i.e. using disordered superconductors or Josephson junction arrays. We present modeling, fabrication and characterization of 104 planar aluminum coil resonators with a characteristic impedance up to 30.9 kΩ at 5.6 GHz and a capacitance down to ≤ 1 fF, with lowloss and a power handling reaching 108 intra-cavity photons. Geometric superinductors are free of uncontrolled tunneling events and offer high reproducibility, linearity and the ability to couple magnetically - properties that significantly broaden the scope of future quantum circuits. },
author = {Peruzzo, Matilda and Trioni, Andrea and Hassani, Farid and Zemlicka, Martin and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {2331-7019},
journal = {Physical Review Applied},
number = {4},
publisher = {American Physical Society},
title = {{Surpassing the resistance quantum with a geometric superinductor}},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevApplied.14.044055},
volume = {14},
year = {2020},
}
@inproceedings{9001,
abstract = {Quantum illumination is a sensing technique that employs entangled signal-idler beams to improve the detection efficiency of low-reflectivity objects in environments with large thermal noise. The advantage over classical strategies is evident at low signal brightness, a feature which could make the protocol an ideal prototype for non-invasive scanning or low-power short-range radar. Here we experimentally investigate the concept of quantum illumination at microwave frequencies, by generating entangled fields using a Josephson parametric converter which are then amplified to illuminate a room-temperature object at a distance of 1 meter. Starting from experimental data, we simulate the case of perfect idler photon number detection, which results in a quantum advantage compared to the relative classical benchmark. Our results highlight the opportunities and challenges on the way towards a first room-temperature application of microwave quantum circuits.},
author = {Barzanjeh, Shabir and Pirandola, Stefano and Vitali, David and Fink, Johannes M},
booktitle = {IEEE National Radar Conference - Proceedings},
isbn = {9781728189420},
issn = {1097-5659},
location = {Florence, Italy},
number = {9},
publisher = {IEEE},
title = {{Microwave quantum illumination with a digital phase-conjugated receiver}},
doi = {10.1109/RadarConf2043947.2020.9266397},
volume = {2020},
year = {2020},
}
@article{8529,
abstract = {Practical quantum networks require low-loss and noise-resilient optical interconnects as well as non-Gaussian resources for entanglement distillation and distributed quantum computation. The latter could be provided by superconducting circuits but existing solutions to interface the microwave and optical domains lack either scalability or efficiency, and in most cases the conversion noise is not known. In this work we utilize the unique opportunities of silicon photonics, cavity optomechanics and superconducting circuits to demonstrate a fully integrated, coherent transducer interfacing the microwave X and the telecom S bands with a total (internal) bidirectional transduction efficiency of 1.2% (135%) at millikelvin temperatures. The coupling relies solely on the radiation pressure interaction mediated by the femtometer-scale motion of two silicon nanobeams reaching a Vπ as low as 16 μV for sub-nanowatt pump powers. Without the associated optomechanical gain, we achieve a total (internal) pure conversion efficiency of up to 0.019% (1.6%), relevant for future noise-free operation on this qubit-compatible platform.},
author = {Arnold, Georg M and Wulf, Matthias and Barzanjeh, Shabir and Redchenko, Elena and Rueda Sanchez, Alfredo R and Hease, William J and Hassani, Farid and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {2041-1723},
journal = {Nature Communications},
keywords = {General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Physics and Astronomy, General Chemistry},
publisher = {Springer Nature},
title = {{Converting microwave and telecom photons with a silicon photonic nanomechanical interface}},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-020-18269-z},
volume = {11},
year = {2020},
}
@article{9114,
abstract = {Microwave photonics lends the advantages of fiber optics to electronic sensing and communication systems. In contrast to nonlinear optics, electro-optic devices so far require classical modulation fields whose variance is dominated by electronic or thermal noise rather than quantum fluctuations. Here we demonstrate bidirectional single-sideband conversion of X band microwave to C band telecom light with a microwave mode occupancy as low as 0.025 ± 0.005 and an added output noise of less than or equal to 0.074 photons. This is facilitated by radiative cooling and a triply resonant ultra-low-loss transducer operating at millikelvin temperatures. The high bandwidth of 10.7 MHz and total (internal) photon conversion
efficiency of 0.03% (0.67%) combined with the extremely slow heating rate of 1.1 added output noise photons per second for the highest available pump power of 1.48 mW puts near-unity efficiency pulsed quantum transduction within reach. Together with the non-Gaussian resources of superconducting qubits this might provide the practical foundation to extend the range and scope of current quantum networks in analogy to electrical repeaters in classical fiber optic communication.},
author = {Hease, William J and Rueda Sanchez, Alfredo R and Sahu, Rishabh and Wulf, Matthias and Arnold, Georg M and Schwefel, Harald G.L. and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {2691-3399},
journal = {PRX Quantum},
number = {2},
publisher = {American Physical Society},
title = {{Bidirectional electro-optic wavelength conversion in the quantum ground state}},
doi = {10.1103/prxquantum.1.020315},
volume = {1},
year = {2020},
}
@article{7156,
abstract = {We propose an efficient microwave-photonic modulator as a resource for stationary entangled microwave-optical fields and develop the theory for deterministic entanglement generation and quantum state transfer in multi-resonant electro-optic systems. The device is based on a single crystal whispering gallery mode resonator integrated into a 3D-microwave cavity. The specific design relies on a new combination of thin-film technology and conventional machining that is optimized for the lowest dissipation rates in the microwave, optical, and mechanical domains. We extract important device properties from finite-element simulations and predict continuous variable entanglement generation rates on the order of a Mebit/s for optical pump powers of only a few tens of microwatts. We compare the quantum state transfer fidelities of coherent, squeezed, and non-Gaussian cat states for both teleportation and direct conversion protocols under realistic conditions. Combining the unique capabilities of circuit quantum electrodynamics with the resilience of fiber optic communication could facilitate long-distance solid-state qubit networks, new methods for quantum signal synthesis, quantum key distribution, and quantum enhanced detection, as well as more power-efficient classical sensing and modulation.},
author = {Rueda Sanchez, Alfredo R and Hease, William J and Barzanjeh, Shabir and Fink, Johannes M},
issn = {2056-6387},
journal = {npj Quantum Information},
publisher = {Springer Nature},
title = {{Electro-optic entanglement source for microwave to telecom quantum state transfer}},
doi = {10.1038/s41534-019-0220-5},
volume = {5},
year = {2019},
}