Geometric quantum gates robust against stochastic control errors

We analyze a scheme for quantum computation where quantum gates can be continuously changed from standard dynamic gates to purely geometric ones. These gates are enacted by controlling a set of parameters that are subject to unwanted stochastic fluctuations. This kind of noise results in a departure from the ideal case that can be quantified by a gate fidelity. We find that the maximum of this fidelity corresponds to quantum gates with a vanishing dynamical phase.Comment: 4 pager

Quantum state reconstruction with imperfect rotations on an inhomogeneously broadened ensemble of qubits

We present a method for performing quantum state reconstruction on qubits and qubit registers in the presence of decoherence and inhomogeneous broadening. The method assumes only rudimentary single qubit rotations as well as knowledge of decoherence and loss mechanisms. We show that full state reconstruction is possible even in the case where single qubit rotations may only be performed imperfectly. Furthermore we show that for ensemble quantum computing proposals, quantum state reconstruction is possible even if the ensemble experiences inhomogeneous broadening and if only imperfect qubit manipulations are available during state preparation and reconstruction.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Protected Rabi oscillation induced by natural interactions among physical qubits

For a system composed of nine qubits, we show that natural interactions among the qubits induce the time evolution that can be regarded, at discrete times, as the Rabi oscillation of a logical qubit. Neither fine tuning of the parameters nor switching of the interactions is necessary. Although straightforward application of quantum error correction fails, we propose a protocol by which the logical Rabi oscillation is protected against all single-qubit errors. The present method thus opens a simple and realistic way of protecting the unitary time evolution against noise.Comment: In this revised manuscript, new sections V, VI, VII and new appendices A, B, C have been added to give detailed discussions. 13 pages, 4 figure

Cooperative effects in Josephson junctions in a cavity in the strong coupling regime

We analyze the behavior of systems of two and three qubits made by Josephson junctions, treated in the two level approximation, driven by a radiation mode in a cavity. The regime we consider is a strong coupling one recently experimentally reached for a single junction. Rabi oscillations are obtained with the frequency proportional to integer order Bessel functions in the limit of a large photon number, similarly to the case of the single qubit. A selection rule is derived for the appearance of Rabi oscillations. A quantum amplifier built with a large number of Josephson junctions in a cavity in the strong coupling regime is also described.Comment: 9 pages, no figures. Version accepted for publication in Physical Review

Zeeman energy and spin relaxation in a one-electron quantum dot

We have measured the relaxation time, T1, of the spin of a single electron confined in a semiconductor quantum dot (a proposed quantum bit). In a magnetic field, applied parallel to the two-dimensional electron gas in which the quantum dot is defined, Zeeman splitting of the orbital states is directly observed by measurements of electron transport through the dot. By applying short voltage pulses, we can populate the excited spin state with one electron and monitor relaxation of the spin. We find a lower bound on T1 of 50 microseconds at 7.5 T, only limited by our signal-to-noise ratio. A continuous measurement of the charge on the dot has no observable effect on the spin relaxation.Comment: Replaced with the version published in Phys. Rev. Let

Semiconductor few-electron quantum dot operated as a bipolar spin filter

We study the spin states of a few-electron quantum dot defined in a two-dimensional electron gas, by applying a large in-plane magnetic field. We observe the Zeeman splitting of the two-electron spin triplet states. Also, the one-electron Zeeman splitting is clearly resolved at both the zero-to-one and the one-to-two electron transition. Since the spin of the electrons transmitted through the dot is opposite at these two transitions, this device can be employed as an electrically tunable, bipolar spin filter. Calculations and measurements show that higher-order tunnel processes and spin-orbit interaction have a negligible effect on the polarization.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Experimental implementation of high-fidelity unconventional geometric quantum gates using NMR interferometer

Following a key idea of unconventional geometric quantum computation developed earlier [Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 197902 (2003)], here we propose a more general scheme in such an intriguing way: $\gamma_{d}=\alpha_{g}+\eta \gamma _{g}$, where $\gamma_{d}$ and $\gamma_{g}$ are respectively the dynamic and geometric phases accumulated in the quantum gate operation, with $\eta$ as a constant and $\alpha_{g}$ being dependent only on the geometric feature of the operation. More arrestingly, we demonstrate the first experiment to implement a universal set of such kind of generalized unconventional geometric quantum gates with high fidelity in an NMR system.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Simultaneous Spin-Charge Relaxation in Double Quantum Dots

We investigate phonon-induced spin and charge relaxation mediated by spin-orbit and hyperfine interactions for a single electron confined within a double quantum dot. A simple toy model incorporating both direct decay to the ground state of the double dot and indirect decay via an intermediate excited state yields an electron spin relaxation rate that varies non-monotonically with the detuning between the dots. We confirm this model with experiments performed on a GaAs double dot, demonstrating that the relaxation rate exhibits the expected detuning dependence and can be electrically tuned over several orders of magnitude. Our analysis suggests that spin-orbit mediated relaxation via phonons serves as the dominant mechanism through which the double-dot electron spin-flip rate varies with detuning.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Supplemental Material (2 pages, 2 figures

Decoherence of a two-state atom driven by coherent light

Recent studies of the decoherence induced by the quantum nature of the laser field driving a two-state atom [J. Gea-Banacloche, Phys. Rev. A 65, 022308 (2002); S. J. van Enk and H. J. Kimble, Quantum Inf. and Comp. 2, 1 (2002)] have been questioned by Itano [W. M. Itano, Phys. Rev. A 68, 046301 (2003)] and the proposal made that all decoherence is due to spontaneous emission. We analyze the problem within the formalism of cascaded open quantum systems. Our conclusions agree with the Itano proposal. We show that the decoherence, nevertheless, may be divided into two parts--that due to forwards scattering and to scattering out of the laser mode. Previous authors attribute the former to the quantum nature of the laser field.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.