44 research outputs found
Josephson Amplifier for Qubit Readout
We report on measurements of a Josephson amplifier (J-amp) suitable for
quantum-state qubit readout in the microwave domain. It consists of two
microstrip resonators which intersect at a Josephson ring modulator. A maximum
gain of about 20 dB, a bandwidth of 9 MHz, and a center-frequency tunability of
about 60 MHz with gain in excess of 10 dB have been attained for idler and
signal of frequencies 6.4 GHz and 8.1 GHz, in accordance with theory. Maximum
input power measurements of the J-amp show a relatively good agreement with
theoretical prediction. We discuss how the amplifier characteristics can be
improved.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
SQUID magnetometry from nanometer to centimeter length scales
The development of Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID)-based magnetometer for two applications, in vivo prepolarized, ultra-low field MRI of humans and dispersive readout of SQUIDs for micro- and nano-scale magnetometery, are the focus of this thesis
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SQUID-Detected Magnetic Resonance Imaging in MicroteslaFields
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has developed into a powerful clinical tool for imaging the human body (1). This technique is based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of protons (2, 3) in a static magnetic field B{sub 0}. An applied radiofrequency pulse causes the protons to precess about B{sub 0} at their Larmor frequency {nu}{sub 0} = ({gamma}/2{pi})B{sub 0}, where {gamma} is the gyromagnetic ratio; {gamma}/2{pi} = 42.58 MHz/tesla. The precessing protons generate an oscillating magnetic field and hence a voltage in a nearby coil that is amplified and recorded. The application of three-dimensional magnetic field gradients specifies a unique magnetic field and thus an NMR frequency in each voxel of the subject, so that with appropriate encoding of the signals one can acquire a complete image (4). Most clinical MRI systems involve magnetic fields generated by superconducting magnets, and the current trend is to higher magnetic fields than the widely used 1.5-T systems (5). Nonetheless, there is ongoing interest in the development of less expensive imagers operating at lower fields. Commercially available 0.2-T systems based on permanent magnets offer both lower cost and a more open access than their higher-field counterparts, at the expense of signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and spatial resolution. At the still lower field of 0.03 mT maintained by a conventional, room-temperature solenoid, Connolly and co-workers (6, 7) obtain good spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by prepolarizing the protons in a field B{sub p} of 0.3 T. Prepolarization (8) enhances the magnetic moment of an ensemble of protons over that produced by the lower precession field; after the polarizing field is removed, the higher magnetic moment produces a correspondingly larger signal during its precession in B{sub 0}. Using the same method, Stepisnik et al. (9) obtained MR images in the Earth's magnetic field ({approx} 50 {micro}T). Alternatively, one can enhance the signal amplitude in MRI using laser polarized noble gases such as {sup 3}He or {sup 129}Xe (10-12). Hyperpolarized gases were used successfully to image the human lung in fields on the order of several mT (13-15). To overcome the sensitivity loss of Faraday detection at low frequencies, ultrasensitive magnetometers based on the Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) (16) are used to detect NMR and MRI signals (17-24). Recently, SQUID-based MRI systems capable of acquiring in vivo images have appeared. For example, in the 10-mT system of Seton et al. (18) signals are coupled to a SQUID via a superconducting tuned circuit, while Clarke and coworkers (22, 25, 26) developed a system at 132 {micro}T with an untuned input circuit coupled to a SQUID. In a quite different approach, atomic magnetometers have been used recently to detect the magnetization (27) and NMR signal (28) of hyperpolarized gases. This technique could potentially be used for low-field MRI in the future. The goal of this review is to summarize the current state-of-the-art of MRI in microtesla fields detected with SQUIDs. The principles of SQUIDs and NMR are briefly reviewed. We show that very narrow NMR linewidths can be achieved in low magnetic fields that are quite inhomogeneous, with illustrative examples from spectroscopy. After describing our ultralow-field MRI system, we present a variety of images. We demonstrate that in microtesla fields the longitudinal relaxation T{sub 1} is much more material dependent than is the case in high fields; this results in a substantial improvement in 'T{sub 1}-weighted contrast imaging'. After outlining the first attempts to combine microtesla NMR with magnetoencephalography (MEG) (29), we conclude with a discussion of future directions
Theory of remote entanglement via quantum-limited phase-preserving amplification
We show that a quantum-limited phase-preserving amplifier can act as a
which-path information eraser when followed by heterodyne detection. This 'beam
splitter with gain' implements a continuous joint measurement on the signal
sources. As an application, we propose heralded concurrent remote entanglement
generation between two qubits coupled dispersively to separate cavities.
Dissimilar qubit-cavity pairs can be made indistinguishable by simple
engineering of the cavity driving fields providing further experimental
flexibility and the prospect for scalability. Additionally, we find an analytic
solution for the stochastic master equation, a quantum filter, yielding a
thorough physical understanding of the nonlinear measurement process leading to
an entangled state of the qubits. We determine the concurrence of the entangled
states and analyze its dependence on losses and measurement inefficiencies.Comment: Main text (11 pages, 5 figures), updated to the published versio
Comparing and combining measurement-based and driven-dissipative entanglement stabilization
We demonstrate and contrast two approaches to the stabilization of qubit
entanglement by feedback. Our demonstration is built on a feedback platform
consisting of two superconducting qubits coupled to a cavity which are measured
by a nearly-quantum-limited measurement chain and controlled by high-speed
classical logic circuits. This platform is used to stabilize entanglement by
two nominally distinct schemes: a "passive" reservoir engineering method and an
"active" correction based on conditional parity measurements. In view of the
instrumental roles that these two feedback paradigms play in quantum
error-correction and quantum control, we directly compare them on the same
experimental setup. Further, we show that a second layer of feedback can be
added to each of these schemes, which heralds the presence of a high-fidelity
entangled state in realtime. This "nested" feedback brings about a marked
entanglement fidelity improvement without sacrificing success probability.Comment: 40 pages, 12 figure