Quantum thermometry using the ac Stark shift within the Rabi model

This work was supported by the EPSRC, the National Research Foundation and Ministry of Education, Singapore, and the Royal Society.A quantum two-level system coupled to a harmonic oscillator represents a ubiquitous physical system. New experiments in circuit QED and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) achieve unprecedented coupling strength at large detuning between qubit and oscillator, thus requiring a theoretical treatment beyond the Jaynes-Cummings model. Here we present a new method for describing the qubit dynamics in this regime, based on an oscillator correlation function expansion of a non-Markovian master equation in the polaron frame. Our technique yields a new numerical method as well as a succinct approximate expression for the qubit dynamics. These expressions are valid in the experimentally interesting regime of strong coupling at low temperature. We obtain a new expression for the ac Stark shift and show that this enables practical and precise qubit thermometry of an oscillator.Peer reviewe

Frequency-encoded linear cluster states with coherent Raman photons

Entangled multi-qubit states are an essential resource for quantum information and computation. Solid-state emitters can mediate interactions between subsequently emitted photons via their spin, thus offering a route towards generating entangled multi-photon states. However, existing schemes typically rely on the incoherent emission of single photons and suffer from severe practical limitations, for self-assembled quantum dots most notably the limited spin coherence time due to Overhauser magnetic field fluctuations. We here propose an alternative approach of employing spin-flip Raman scattering events of self-assembled quantum dots in Voigt geometry. We argue that weakly driven hole spins constitute a promising platform for the practical generation of frequency-entangled photonic cluster states

Quantum-enhanced capture of photons using optical ratchet states

Natural and artificial light harvesting systems often operate in a regime where the flux of photons is relatively low. Besides absorbing as many photons as possible it is therefore paramount to prevent excitons from annihilation via photon re-emission until they have undergone an irreversible energy conversion process. Taking inspiration from photosynthetic antenna structures, we here consider ring-like systems and introduce a class of states we call ratchets: excited states capable of absorbing but not emitting light. This allows our antennae to absorb further photons whilst retaining the excitations from those that have already been captured. Simulations for a ring of four sites reveal a peak power enhancement by up to a factor of 35 under ambient conditions owing to a combination of ratcheting and the prevention of emission through dark-state population. In the slow extraction limit the achievable power enhancement due to ratcheting alone exceeds 20%.Comment: major revision with improved model (all data and figures updated

Heat pumping with optically driven excitons

We present a theoretical study showing that an optically driven excitonic two-level system in a solid state environment acts as a heat pump by means of repeated phonon emission or absorption events. We derive a master equation for the combined phonon bath and two-level system dynamics and analyze the direction and rate of energy transfer as a function of the externally accessible driving parameters. We discover that if the driving laser is detuned from the exciton transition, cooling the phonon environment becomes possible

Quantum sensors based on weak-value amplification cannot overcome decoherence

Sensors that harness exclusively quantum phenomena (such as entanglement) can achieve superior performance compared to those employing only classical principles. Recently, a technique based on postselected, weakly-performed measurements has emerged as a method of overcoming technical noise in the detection and estimation of small interaction parameters, particularly in optical systems. The question of which other types of noise may be combatted remains open. We here analyze whether the effect can overcome decoherence in a typical field sensing scenario. Benchmarking a weak, postselected measurement strategy against a strong, direct strategy we conclude that no advantage is achievable, and that even a small amount of decoherence proves catastrophic to the weak-value amplification technique.Comment: Published version with improvements to presentation, including clarifying our understanding of technical noise and quantum nois

Fundamental Limits to Coherent Photon Generation with Solid-State Atomlike Transitions

Coherent generation of indistinguishable single photons is crucial for many quantum communication and processing protocols. Solid-state realizations of two-level atomic transitions or three-level spin-$\Lambda$ systems offer significant advantages over their atomic counterparts for this purpose, albeit decoherence can arise due to environmental couplings. One popular approach to mitigate dephasing is to operate in the weak excitation limit, where excited state population is minimal and coherently scattered photons dominate over incoherent emission. Here we probe the coherence of photons produced using two-level and spin-$\Lambda$ solid-state systems. We observe that the coupling of the atomic-like transitions to the vibronic transitions of the crystal lattice is independent of driving strength and detuning. We apply a polaron master equation to capture the non-Markovian dynamics of the ground state vibrational manifolds. These results provide insight into the fundamental limitations for photon coherence from solid-state quantum emitters, with the consequence that deterministic single-shot quantum protocols are impossible and inherently probabilistic approaches must be embraced.Comment: 16 pages [with supplementary information], 8 figure

Superabsorption of light via quantum engineering

Almost 60 years ago Dicke introduced the term superradiance to describe a signature quantum effect: N atoms can collectively emit light at a rate proportional to N^2. Even for moderate N this represents a significant increase over the prediction of classical physics, and the effect has found applications ranging from probing exciton delocalisation in biological systems, to developing a new class of laser, and even in astrophysics. Structures that super-radiate must also have enhanced absorption, but the former always dominates in natural systems. Here we show that modern quantum control techniques can overcome this restriction. Our theory establishes that superabsorption can be achieved and sustained in certain simple nanostructures, by trapping the system in a highly excited state while extracting energy into a non-radiative channel. The effect offers the prospect of a new class of quantum nanotechnology, capable of absorbing light many times faster than is currently possible; potential applications of this effect include light harvesting and photon detection. An array of quantum dots or a porphyrin ring could provide an implementation to demonstrate this effect

Optimal power generation using dark states in dimers strongly coupled to their environment

Dark state protection has been proposed as a mechanism to increase the power output of light harvesting devices by reducing the rate of radiative recombination. Indeed many theoretical studies have reported increased power outputs in dimer systems which use quantum interference to generate dark states. These models have typically been restricted to particular geometries and to weakly coupled vibrational baths. Here we consider the experimentally-relevant strong vibrational coupling regime with no geometric restrictions on the dimer. We analyze how dark states can be formed in the dimer by numerically minimizing the emission rate of the lowest energy excited eigenstate, and then calculate the power output of the molecules with these dark states. We find that there are two distinct types of dark states depending on whether the monomers form homodimers, where energy splittings and dipole strengths are identical, or heterodimers, where there is some difference. Homodimers, which exploit destructive quantum interference, produce high power outputs but strong phonon couplings and perturbations from ideal geometries are extremely detrimental. Heterodimers, which are closer to the classical picture of a distinct donor and acceptor molecule, produce an intermediate power output that is relatively stable to these changes. The strong vibrational couplings typically found in organic molecules will suppress destructive interference and thus favour the dark-state enhancement offered by heterodimers.Comment: 20+18 pages, 5+5 figures. We have updated Figures 4, 5, F1 and G1 to correct for a minor error, however the correction is small and does not change the message of the paper. We have also added a paragraph to the appendix to detail how the rotating wave approximation and double excited state affect the master equatio

Method of images applied to driven solid-state emitters

Increasing the collection efficiency from solid-state emitters is an important step towards achieving robust single photon sources, as well as optically connecting different nodes of quantum hardware. A metallic substrate may be the most basic method of improving the collection of photons from quantum dots, with predicted collection efficiency increases of up to 50%. The established 'method-of-images' approach models the effects of a reflective surface for atomic and molecular emitters by replacing the metal surface with a second fictitious emitter which ensures appropriate electromagnetic boundary conditions. Here, we extend the approach to the case of driven solid-state emitters, where exciton-phonon interactions play a key role in determining the optical properties of the system. We derive an intuitive polaron master equation and demonstrate its agreement with the complementary half-sided cavity formulation of the same problem. Our extended image approach offers a straightforward route towards studying the dynamics of multiple solid-state emitters near a metallic surface

The type of adjuvant in whole inactivated influenza a virus vaccines impacts vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease

Influenza A virus (IAV) causes a disease burden in the swine industry in the US and is a challenge to prevent due to substantial genetic and antigenic diversity of IAV that circulate in pig populations. Whole inactivated virus (WIV) vaccines formulated with oil-in-water (OW) adjuvant are commonly used in swine. However, WIV-OW are associated with vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease (VAERD) when the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of the vaccine strain are mismatched with the challenge virus. Here, we assessed if different types of adjuvant in WIV vaccine formulations impacted VAERD outcome. WIV vaccines with a swine δ1-H1N2 were formulated with different commercial adjuvants: OW1, OW2, nano-emulsion squalene-based (NE) and gel polymer (GP). Pigs were vaccinated twice by the intramuscular route, 3 weeks apart, then challenged with an H1N1pdm09 three weeks post-boost and necropsied at 5 days post infection. All WIV vaccines elicited antibodies detected using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay against the homologous vaccine virus, but not against the heterologous challenge virus; in contrast, all vaccinated groups had cross-reactive IgG antibody and IFN-γ responses against H1N1pdm09, with a higher magnitude observed in OW groups. Both OW groups demonstrated robust homologous HI titers and cross-reactivity against heterologous H1 viruses in the same genetic lineage. However, both OW groups had severe immunopathology consistent with VAERD after challenge when compared to NE, GP, and non-vaccinated challenge controls. None of the WIV formulations protected pigs from heterologous virus replication in the lungs or nasal cavity. Thus, although the type of adjuvant in the WIV formulation played a significant role in the magnitude of immune response to homologous and antigenically similar H1, none tested here increased the breadth of protection against the antigenically-distinct challenge virus, and some impacted immunopathology after challenge