arXiv · 1612.07098
Multiplying and detecting propagating microwave photons using inelastic Cooper-pair tunneling
Abstract
The interaction between propagating microwave fields and Cooper-pair tunneling across a DC voltage-biased Josephson junction can be highly nonlinear. We show theoretically that this nonlinearity can be used to convert an incoming single microwave photon into an outgoing $n$-photon Fock state in a different mode. In this process, the electrostatic energy released in a Cooper-pair tunneling event is transferred to the outgoing Fock state, providing energy gain. The created multi-photon Fock state is frequency entangled and highly bunched. The conversion can be made reflectionless (impedance-matched) so that all incoming photons are converted to $n$-photon states. With realistic parameters multiplication ratios $n > 2$ can be reached. By two consecutive multiplications, the outgoing Fock-state number can get sufficiently large to accurately discriminate it from vacuum with linear post-amplification and power measurement. Therefore, this amplification scheme can be used as single-photon detector without dead time.
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Juha Leppäkangas, Michael Marthaler, Dibyendu Hazra, Salha Jebari, Romain Albert, Florian Blanchet, Göran Johansson, Max Hofheinz. 2016-12-21. Multiplying and detecting propagating microwave photons using inelastic Cooper-pair tunneling. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.97.013855
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