Photonic and Phononic Band Gap Engineering for Circuit Quantum Electrodynamics and Quantum Transduction

The ability to pattern materials at the wavelength and sub-wavelength scale has led to the concept of photonic crystals and metamaterials - artificially engineered structures that exhibit electromagnetic properties not found in conventional materials. Such engineered structures offer the ability to slow down and even inhibit the propagation of electromagnetic waves giving rise to a photonic band gap and a sharply varying photonic density of states. Quantum emitters in the presence of an electromagnetic reservoir with varying density of states can undergo a rich set of dynamical behavior. In particular, the reservoir can be tailored to have a memory of past interactions with emitters, in contrast to memory-less Markovian dynamics of typical open systems. In part 1 of this thesis, we investigate the non-Markovian dynamics of a superconducting qubit strongly coupled to a superconducting metamaterial waveguide engineered to have both a sharp spectral variation in its transmission properties and a slowing of light by a factor of 650. Tuning the qubit into the spectral vicinity of the passband of this slow-light waveguide reservoir, we observe a 400-fold change in the emission rate of the qubit, along with oscillatory energy relaxation of the qubit resulting from the beating of bound and radiative dressed qubit-photon states. Further, upon addition of a reflective boundary to one end of the waveguide, we observe revivals in the qubit population on a timescale 30 times longer than the inverse of the qubit’s emission rate, corresponding to the round-trip travel time of an emitted photon. With this superconducting circuit platform, future studies of multi-qubit interactions via highly structured reservoirs and the generation of multi-photon highly entangled states are possible. While microwave frequency superconducting circuits are near ideal testbeds for quantum electrodynamics experiments of the type discussed in part 1, microwave photons are not well suited for transmission of quantum information over long distances due to the presence of a large thermal background at room temperature. Optical photons are ideal for quantum communication applications due to their low propagation loss at room temperature. Coherent transduction of single photons from the microwave to the optical domain has the potential to play a key role in quantum networking and distributed quantum computing. In part 2 of this thesis, we extend the notion of band gap engineering to the optical and acoustic domain and present the design of a piezo-optomechanical quantum transducer where transduction is mediated by a strongly hybridized acoustic mode of a lithium niobate piezoacoustic cavity attached to a silicon optomechanical crystal patterned on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. We estimate an intrinsic transduction efficiency of 29% with &lt;0.5 added noise quanta when our transducer is resonantly coupled to a superconducting transmon qubit and operated in pulsed mode. Our design involves on-chip integration of a superconducting qubit with the piezo-optomechanical transducer. Absorption of stray photons from the optical pump used in the transduction process is known to cause excess decoherence and noise in the superconducting circuit. The recovery time of the superconducting circuit after the optical pulse sets a limit on the transducer repetition rate. We fabricate niobium based superconducting circuits on a silicon substrate and test their response to illumination by a 1550 nm laser. We find a recovery time of ~ 10 μs, indicating that a repetition rate of 10 kHz should be possible. Combined with the expected efficiency and noise metrics of our design, we expect that a transducer in this parameter regime would be suitable to realize probabilistic schemes for remote entanglement of superconducting quantum processors. We conclude by discussing some of the challenges associated with fabricating niobium superconducting qubits and lithium niobate piezoacoustic devices on silicon-on-insulator substrates and provide initial steps towards realizing our transducer design in the lab.</p

Design of an ultra-low mode volume piezo-optomechanical quantum transducer

Coherent transduction of quantum states from the microwave to the optical domain can play a key role in quantum networking and distributed quantum computing. We present the design of a piezo-optomechanical device formed in a hybrid lithium niobate on silicon platform, that is suitable for microwave-to-optical quantum transduction. Our design is based on acoustic hybridization of an ultra-low mode volume piezoacoustic cavity with an optomechanical crystal cavity. The strong piezoelectric nature of lithium niobate allows us to mediate transduction via an acoustic mode which only minimally interacts with the lithium niobate, and is predominantly silicon-like, with very low electrical and acoustic loss. We estimate that this transducer can realize an intrinsic conversion efficiency of up to 35% with <0.5 added noise quanta when resonantly coupled to a superconducting transmon qubit and operated in pulsed mode at 10 kHz repetition rate. The performance improvement gained in such hybrid lithium niobate-silicon transducers make them suitable for heralded entanglement of qubits between superconducting quantum processors connected by optical fiber links

Collapse and Revival of an Artificial Atom Coupled to a Structured Photonic Reservoir

A structured electromagnetic reservoir can result in novel dynamics of quantum emitters. In particular, the reservoir can be tailored to have a memory of past interactions with emitters, in contrast to memory-less Markovian dynamics of typical open systems. In this Article, we investigate the non-Markovian dynamics of a superconducting qubit strongly coupled to a superconducting slow-light waveguide reservoir. Tuning the qubit into the spectral vicinity of the passband of this waveguide, we find non-exponential energy relaxation as well as substantial changes to the qubit emission rate. Further, upon addition of a reflective boundary to one end of the waveguide, we observe revivals in the qubit population on a timescale 30 times longer than the inverse of the qubit's emission rate, corresponding to the round-trip travel time of an emitted photon. By tuning of the qubit-waveguide interaction strength, we probe a crossover between Markovian and non-Markovian qubit emission dynamics. These attributes allow for future studies of multi-qubit circuits coupled to structured reservoirs, in addition to constituting the necessary resources for generation of multiphoton highly entangled states

Collapse and Revival of an Artificial Atom Coupled to a Structured Photonic Reservoir

A structured electromagnetic reservoir can result in novel dynamics of quantum emitters. In particular, the reservoir can be tailored to have a memory of past interactions with emitters, in contrast to memory-less Markovian dynamics of typical open systems. In this Article, we investigate the non-Markovian dynamics of a superconducting qubit strongly coupled to a superconducting slow-light waveguide reservoir. Tuning the qubit into the spectral vicinity of the passband of this waveguide, we find non-exponential energy relaxation as well as substantial changes to the qubit emission rate. Further, upon addition of a reflective boundary to one end of the waveguide, we observe revivals in the qubit population on a timescale 30 times longer than the inverse of the qubit's emission rate, corresponding to the round-trip travel time of an emitted photon. By tuning of the qubit-waveguide interaction strength, we probe a crossover between Markovian and non-Markovian qubit emission dynamics. These attributes allow for future studies of multi-qubit circuits coupled to structured reservoirs, in addition to constituting the necessary resources for generation of multiphoton highly entangled states

Quantum Electrodynamics in a Topological Waveguide

While designing the energy-momentum relation of photons is key to many linear, nonlinear, and quantum optical phenomena, a new set of light-matter properties may be realized by employing the topology of the photonic bath itself. In this work we experimentally investigate the properties of superconducting qubits coupled to a metamaterial waveguide based on a photonic analog of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. We explore topologically induced properties of qubits coupled to such a waveguide, ranging from the formation of directional qubit-photon bound states to topology-dependent cooperative radiation effects. Addition of qubits to this waveguide system also enables direct quantum control over topological edge states that form in finite waveguide systems, useful for instance in constructing a topologically protected quantum communication channel. More broadly, our work demonstrates the opportunity that topological waveguide-QED systems offer in the synthesis and study of many-body states with exotic long-range quantum correlations

Quantum Electrodynamics in a Topological Waveguide

While designing the energy-momentum relation of photons is key to many linear, nonlinear, and quantum optical phenomena, a new set of light-matter properties may be realized by employing the topology of the photonic bath itself. In this work we experimentally investigate the properties of superconducting qubits coupled to a metamaterial waveguide based on a photonic analog of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. We explore topologically induced properties of qubits coupled to such a waveguide, ranging from the formation of directional qubit-photon bound states to topology-dependent cooperative radiation effects. Addition of qubits to this waveguide system also enables direct quantum control over topological edge states that form in finite waveguide systems, useful for instance in constructing a topologically protected quantum communication channel. More broadly, our work demonstrates the opportunity that topological waveguide-QED systems offer in the synthesis and study of many-body states with exotic long-range quantum correlations

Quantum electrodynamics in a topological waveguide

27 pags., 17 figs., 2 tabs., 8 apps.While designing the energy-momentum relation of photons is key to many linear, nonlinear, and quantum optical phenomena, a new set of light-matter properties may be realized by employing the topology of the photonic bath itself. In this work we experimentally investigate the properties of superconducting qubits coupled to a metamaterial waveguide based on a photonic analog of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. We explore topologically induced properties of qubits coupled to such a waveguide, ranging from the formation of directional qubit-photon bound states to topology-dependent cooperative radiation effects. Addition of qubits to this waveguide system also enables direct quantum control over topological edge states that form in finite waveguide systems, useful for instance in constructing a topologically protected quantum communication channel. More broadly, our work demonstrates the opportunity that topological waveguide-QED systems offer in the synthesis and study of many-body states with exotic long-range quantum correlations.This work was supported by the AFOSR MURI Quantum Photonic Matter (Grant No. FA9550-16-1-0323), the DOE-BES Quantum Information Science Program (Grant No. DESC0020152), the AWS Center for Quantum Computing, the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, an NSF Physics Frontiers Center (Grant No. PHY-1733907) with support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech. V. S. F. gratefully acknowledges support from NSF GFRP Fellowship. A. S. is supported by Institute for Quantum Information and Matter Postdoctoral Fellowship. A. G.-T. acknowledges funding from project PGC2018-094792-B-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE), CSIC Research Platform PTI001, and CAM/FEDER Project No. S2018/TCS-4342 (QUITEMAD-CM).Peer reviewe

Same data, different conclusions : radical dispersion in empirical results when independent analysts operationalize and test the same hypothesis

In this crowdsourced initiative, independent analysts used the same dataset to test two hypotheses regarding the effects of scientists’ gender and professional status on verbosity during group meetings. Not only the analytic approach but also the operationalizations of key variables were left unconstrained and up to individual analysts. For instance, analysts could choose to operationalize status as job title, institutional ranking, citation counts, or some combination. To maximize transparency regarding the process by which analytic choices are made, the analysts used a platform we developed called DataExplained to justify both preferred and rejected analytic paths in real time. Analyses lacking sufficient detail, reproducible code, or with statistical errors were excluded, resulting in 29 analyses in the final sample. Researchers reported radically different analyses and dispersed empirical outcomes, in a number of cases obtaining significant effects in opposite directions for the same research question. A Boba multiverse analysis demonstrates that decisions about how to operationalize variables explain variability in outcomes above and beyond statistical choices (e.g., covariates). Subjective researcher decisions play a critical role in driving the reported empirical results, underscoring the need for open data, systematic robustness checks, and transparency regarding both analytic paths taken and not taken. Implications for organizations and leaders, whose decision making relies in part on scientific findings, consulting reports, and internal analyses by data scientists, are discussed

Same data, different conclusions: Radical dispersion in empirical results when independent analysts operationalize and test the same hypothesis

In this crowdsourced initiative, independent analysts used the same dataset to test two hypotheses regarding the effects of scientists’ gender and professional status on verbosity during group meetings. Not only the analytic approach but also the operationalizations of key variables were left unconstrained and up to individual analysts. For instance, analysts could choose to operationalize status as job title, institutional ranking, citation counts, or some combination. To maximize transparency regarding the process by which analytic choices are made, the analysts used a platform we developed called DataExplained to justify both preferred and rejected analytic paths in real time. Analyses lacking sufficient detail, reproducible code, or with statistical errors were excluded, resulting in 29 analyses in the final sample. Researchers reported radically different analyses and dispersed empirical outcomes, in a number of cases obtaining significant effects in opposite directions for the same research question. A Boba multiverse analysis demonstrates that decisions about how to operationalize variables explain variability in outcomes above and beyond statistical choices (e.g., covariates). Subjective researcher decisions play a critical role in driving the reported empirical results, underscoring the need for open data, systematic robustness checks, and transparency regarding both analytic paths taken and not taken. Implications for organizations and leaders, whose decision making relies in part on scientific findings, consulting reports, and internal analyses by data scientists, are discussed