95 research outputs found
'Designer atoms' for quantum metrology
Entanglement is recognized as a key resource for quantum computation and
quantum cryptography. For quantum metrology, the use of entangled states has
been discussed and demonstrated as a means of improving the signal-to-noise
ratio. In addition, entangled states have been used in experiments for
efficient quantum state detection and for the measurement of scattering
lengths. In quantum information processing, manipulation of individual quantum
bits allows for the tailored design of specific states that are insensitive to
the detrimental influences of an environment. Such 'decoherence-free subspaces'
protect quantum information and yield significantly enhanced coherence times.
Here we use a decoherence-free subspace with specifically designed entangled
states to demonstrate precision spectroscopy of a pair of trapped Ca+ ions; we
obtain the electric quadrupole moment, which is of use for frequency standard
applications. We find that entangled states are not only useful for enhancing
the signal-to-noise ratio in frequency measurements - a suitably designed pair
of atoms also allows clock measurements in the presence of strong technical
noise. Our technique makes explicit use of non-locality as an entanglement
property and provides an approach for 'designed' quantum metrology
Optimized Dynamical Decoupling in a Model Quantum Memory
We present experimental measurements on a model quantum system that
demonstrate our ability to dramatically suppress qubit error rates by the
application of optimized dynamical decoupling pulse sequences in a variety of
experimentally relevant noise environments. We provide the first demonstration
of an analytically derived pulse sequence developed by Uhrig, and find novel
sequences through active, real-time experimental feedback. These new sequences
are specially tailored to maximize error suppression without the need for a
priori knowledge of the ambient noise environment. We compare these sequences
against the Uhrig sequence, and the well established CPMG-style spin echo,
demonstrating that our locally optimized pulse sequences outperform all others
under test. Numerical simulations show that our locally optimized pulse
sequences are capable of suppressing errors by orders of magnitude over other
existing sequences. Our work includes the extension of a treatment to predict
qubit decoherence under realistic conditions, including the use of
finite-duration, square pulses, yielding strong agreement between
experimental data and theory for arbitrary pulse sequences. These results
demonstrate the robustness of qubit memory error suppression through dynamical
decoupling techniques across a variety of qubit technologies.Comment: Subject to press embarg
Experimental violation of a Bell's inequality in time with weak measurement
The violation of J. Bell's inequality with two entangled and spatially
separated quantum two- level systems (TLS) is often considered as the most
prominent demonstration that nature does not obey ?local realism?. Under
different but related assumptions of "macrorealism", plausible for macroscopic
systems, Leggett and Garg derived a similar inequality for a single degree of
freedom undergoing coherent oscillations and being measured at successive
times. Such a "Bell's inequality in time", which should be violated by a
quantum TLS, is tested here. In this work, the TLS is a superconducting quantum
circuit whose Rabi oscillations are continuously driven while it is
continuously and weakly measured. The time correlations present at the detector
output agree with quantum-mechanical predictions and violate the inequality by
5 standard deviations.Comment: 26 pages including 10 figures, preprint forma
Bang-bang control of fullerene qubits using ultra-fast phase gates
Quantum mechanics permits an entity, such as an atom, to exist in a
superposition of multiple states simultaneously. Quantum information processing
(QIP) harnesses this profound phenomenon to manipulate information in radically
new ways. A fundamental challenge in all QIP technologies is the corruption of
superposition in a quantum bit (qubit) through interaction with its
environment. Quantum bang-bang control provides a solution by repeatedly
applying `kicks' to a qubit, thus disrupting an environmental interaction.
However, the speed and precision required for the kick operations has presented
an obstacle to experimental realization. Here we demonstrate a phase gate of
unprecedented speed on a nuclear spin qubit in a fullerene molecule (N@C60),
and use it to bang-bang decouple the qubit from a strong environmental
interaction. We can thus trap the qubit in closed cycles on the Bloch sphere,
or lock it in a given state for an arbitrary period. Our procedure uses
operations on a second qubit, an electron spin, in order to generate an
arbitrary phase on the nuclear qubit. We anticipate the approach will be vital
for QIP technologies, especially at the molecular scale where other strategies,
such as electrode switching, are unfeasible
Making optical atomic clocks more stable with level laser stabilization
The superb precision of an atomic clock is derived from its stability. Atomic
clocks based on optical (rather than microwave) frequencies are attractive
because of their potential for high stability, which scales with operational
frequency. Nevertheless, optical clocks have not yet realized this vast
potential, due in large part to limitations of the laser used to excite the
atomic resonance. To address this problem, we demonstrate a cavity-stabilized
laser system with a reduced thermal noise floor, exhibiting a fractional
frequency instability of . We use this laser as a stable
optical source in a Yb optical lattice clock to resolve an ultranarrow 1 Hz
transition linewidth. With the stable laser source and the signal to noise
ratio (S/N) afforded by the Yb optical clock, we dramatically reduce key
stability limitations of the clock, and make measurements consistent with a
clock instability of
Quantum anti-Zeno effect without wave function reduction
We study the measurement-induced enhancement of the spontaneous decay (called
quantum anti-Zeno effect) for a two-level subsystem, where measurements are
treated as couplings between the excited state and an auxiliary state rather
than the von Neumann's wave function reduction. The photon radiated in a fast
decay of the atom, from the auxiliary state to the excited state, triggers a
quasi-measurement, as opposed to a projection measurement. Our use of the term
"quasi-measurement" refers to a "coupling-based measurement". Such frequent
quasi-measurements result in an exponential decay of the survival probability
of atomic initial state with a photon emission following each
quasi-measurement. Our calculations show that the effective decay rate is of
the same form as the one based on projection measurements. What is more
important, the survival probability of the atomic initial state which is
obtained by tracing over all the photon states is equivalent to the survival
probability of the atomic initial state with a photon emission following each
quasi-measurement to the order under consideration. That is because the
contributions from those states with photon number less than the number of
quasi-measurements originate from higher-order processes.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Coupling Superconducting Qubits via a Cavity Bus
Superconducting circuits are promising candidates for constructing quantum
bits (qubits) in a quantum computer; single-qubit operations are now routine,
and several examples of two qubit interactions and gates having been
demonstrated. These experiments show that two nearby qubits can be readily
coupled with local interactions. Performing gates between an arbitrary pair of
distant qubits is highly desirable for any quantum computer architecture, but
has not yet been demonstrated. An efficient way to achieve this goal is to
couple the qubits to a quantum bus, which distributes quantum information among
the qubits. Here we show the implementation of such a quantum bus, using
microwave photons confined in a transmission line cavity, to couple two
superconducting qubits on opposite sides of a chip. The interaction is mediated
by the exchange of virtual rather than real photons, avoiding cavity induced
loss. Using fast control of the qubits to switch the coupling effectively on
and off, we demonstrate coherent transfer of quantum states between the qubits.
The cavity is also used to perform multiplexed control and measurement of the
qubit states. This approach can be expanded to more than two qubits, and is an
attractive architecture for quantum information processing on a chip.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Natur
Determining the Quantum Expectation Value by Measuring a Single Photon
Quantum mechanics, one of the keystones of modern physics, exhibits several
peculiar properties, differentiating it from classical mechanics. One of the
most intriguing is that variables might not have definite values. A complete
quantum description provides only probabilities for obtaining various
eigenvalues of a quantum variable. These and corresponding probabilities
specify the expectation value of a physical observable, which is known to be a
statistical property of an ensemble of quantum systems. In contrast to this
paradigm, we demonstrate a unique method allowing to measure the expectation
value of a physical variable on a single particle, namely, the polarisation of
a single protected photon. This is the first realisation of quantum protective
measurements.Comment: Nature Physics, in press (this version corresponds to the one
initially submitted to Nature Physics
Stabilizing entanglement autonomously between two superconducting qubits
Quantum error-correction codes would protect an arbitrary state of a
multi-qubit register against decoherence-induced errors, but their
implementation is an outstanding challenge for the development of large-scale
quantum computers. A first step is to stabilize a non-equilibrium state of a
simple quantum system such as a qubit or a cavity mode in the presence of
decoherence. Several groups have recently accomplished this goal using
measurement-based feedback schemes. A next step is to prepare and stabilize a
state of a composite system. Here we demonstrate the stabilization of an
entangled Bell state of a quantum register of two superconducting qubits for an
arbitrary time. Our result is achieved by an autonomous feedback scheme which
combines continuous drives along with a specifically engineered coupling
between the two-qubit register and a dissipative reservoir. Similar autonomous
feedback techniques have recently been used for qubit reset and the
stabilization of a single qubit state, as well as for creating and stabilizing
states of multipartite quantum systems. Unlike conventional, measurement-based
schemes, an autonomous approach counter-intuitively uses engineered dissipation
to fight decoherence, obviating the need for a complicated external feedback
loop to correct errors, simplifying implementation. Instead the feedback loop
is built into the Hamiltonian such that the steady state of the system in the
presence of drives and dissipation is a Bell state, an essential building-block
state for quantum information processing. Such autonomous schemes, broadly
applicable to a variety of physical systems as demonstrated by a concurrent
publication with trapped ion qubits, will be an essential tool for the
implementation of quantum-error correction.Comment: 39 pages, 7 figure
Ion traps with enhanced optical and physical access
Small, controllable, highly accessible quantum systems can serve as probes at
the single quantum level to study multiple physical effects, for example in
quantum optics or for electric and magnetic field sensing. The applicability of
trapped atomic ions as probes is highly dependent on the measurement situation
at hand and thus calls for specialized traps. Previous approaches for ion traps
with enhanced optical access included traps consisting of a single ring
electrode or two opposing endcap electrodes. Other possibilities are planar
trap geometries, which have been investigated for Penning traps and rf-trap
arrays. By not having the electrodes lie in a common plane the optical access
in the latter cases can be substantially increased. Here, we discuss the
fabrication and experimental characterization of a novel radio-frequency (rf)
ion trap geometry. It has a relatively simple structure and provides largely
unrestricted optical and physical access to the ion, of up to 96% of the total
4pi solid angle in one of the three traps tested. We also discuss potential
applications in quantum optics and field sensing. As a force sensor, we
estimate sensitivity to forces smaller than 1 yN Hz^(-1/2).Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. Corrections of some typos, application section
expanded to account for reviewer comment
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