Correlated hopping of bosonic atoms induced by optical lattices

In this work we analyze a particular setup with ultracold atoms trapped in state-dependent lattices. We show that any asymmetry in the contact interaction translates into one of two classes of correlated hopping. After deriving the effective lattice Hamiltonian for the atoms, we obtain analytically and numerically the different phases and quantum phase transitions. We find for weak correlated hopping both Mott insulators and charge density waves, while for stronger correlated hopping the system transitions into a pair superfluid. We demonstrate that this phase exists for a wide range of interaction asymmetries and has interesting correlation properties that differentiate it from an ordinary atomic Bose-Einstein condensate.Comment: 24 pages with 9 figures, to appear in New Journal of Physic

Detecting ground state qubit self-excitations in circuit QED: slow quantum anti-Zeno effect

In this work we study an ultrastrong coupled qubit-cavity system subjected to slow repeated measurements. We demonstrate that even under a few imperfect measurements it is possible to detect transitions of the qubit from its free ground state to the excited state. The excitation probability grows exponentially fast in analogy with the quantum anti-Zeno effect. The dynamics and physics described in this paper is accessible to current superconducting circuit technology.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures. v2: extended published versio

Quantum computation with unknown parameters

We show how it is possible to realize quantum computations on a system in which most of the parameters are practically unknown. We illustrate our results with a novel implementation of a quantum computer by means of bosonic atoms in an optical lattice. In particular we show how a universal set of gates can be carried out even if the number of atoms per site is uncertain.Comment: 3 figure

Quantum Ratchets for Quantum Communication with Optical Superlattices

We propose to use a quantum ratchet to transport quantum information in a chain of atoms trapped in an optical superlattice. The quantum ratchet is created by a continuous modulation of the optical superlattice which is periodic in time and in space. Though there is zero average force acting on the atoms, we show that indeed the ratchet effect permits atoms on even and odd sites to move along opposite directions. By loading the optical lattice with two-level bosonic atoms, this scheme permits to perfectly transport a qubit or entangled state imprinted in one or more atoms to any desired position in the lattice. From the quantum computation point of view, the transport is achieved by a smooth concatenation of perfect swap gates. We analyze setups with noninteracting and interacting particles and in the latter case we use the tools of optimal control to design optimal modulations. We also discuss the feasibility of this method in current experiments.Comment: Published version, 9 pages, 5 figure

Entanglement detection in coupled particle plasmons

When in close contact, plasmonic resonances interact and become strongly correlated. In this work we develop a quantum mechanical model, using the language of continuous variables and quantum information, for an array of coupled particle plasmons. This model predicts that when the coupling strength between plasmons approaches or surpasses the local dissipation, a sizable amount of entanglement is stored in the collective modes of the array. We also prove that entanglement manifests itself in far-field images of the plasmonic modes, through the statistics of the quadratures of the field, in what constitutes a novel family of entanglement witnesses. This protocol is so robust that it is indeed independent of whether our own model is correct. Finally, we estimate the amount of entanglement, the coupling strength and the correlation properties for a system that consists of two or more coupled nanospheres of silver, showing evidence that our predictions could be tested using present-day state-of-the-art technology.Comment: 8 pages (6 main text + 2 supplemental), 3 figure

Structural instability of vortices in Bose-Einstein condensates

In this paper we study a gaseous Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) and show that: (i) A minimum value of the interaction is needed for the existence of stable persistent currents. (ii) Vorticity is not a fundamental invariant of the system, as there exists a conservative mechanism which can destroy a vortex and change its sign. (iii) This mechanism is suppressed by strong interactions.Comment: 4 pages with 3 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Microwave Photon Detector in Circuit QED

Quantum optical photodetection has occupied a central role in understanding radiation-matter interactions. It has also contributed to the development of atomic physics and quantum optics, including applications to metrology, spectroscopy, and quantum information processing. The quantum microwave regime, originally explored using cavities and atoms, is seeing a novel boost with the generation of nonclassical propagating fields in circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED). This promising field, involving potential developments in quantum information with microwave photons, suffers from the absence of photodetectors. Here, we design a metamaterial composed of discrete superconducting elements that implements a high-efficiency microwave photon detector. Our design consists of a microwave guide coupled to an array of metastable quantum circuits, whose internal states are irreversibly changed due to the absorption of photons. This proposal can be widely applied to different physical systems and can be generalized to implement a microwave photon counter.Comment: accepted in Phys. Rev. Let

Full two-photon downconversion of just a single photon

We demonstrate, both numerically and analytically, that it is possible to generate two photons from one and only one photon. We characterize the output two photon field and make our calculations close to reality by including losses. Our proposal relies on real or artificial three-level atoms with a cyclic transition strongly coupled to a one-dimensional waveguide. We show that close to perfect downconversion with efficiency over 99% is reachable using state-of-the-art Waveguide QED architectures such as photonic crystals or superconducting circuits. In particular, we sketch an implementation in circuit QED, where the three level atom is a transmon