arXiv subjects

Achim Marx

Publications and source records attributed to Achim Marx.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

In-situ tunable nonlinearity and competing signal paths in coupled superconducting resonators

We have fabricated and studied a system of two tunable and coupled nonlinear superconducting resonators. The nonlinearity is introduced by galvanically coupled dc-SQUIDs. We simulate the system response by means of a circuit model, which includes an additional signal path introduced by the electromagnetic environment. Furthermore, we present two methods allowing us to experimentally determine the nonlinearity. First, we fit the measured frequency and flux dependence of the transmission data to simulations based on the equivalent circuit model. Second, we fit the power dependence of the transmission data to a model that is predicted by the nonlinear equation of motion describing the system. Our results show that we are able to tune the nonlinearity of the resonators by almost two orders of magnitude via an external coil and two on-chip antennas. The studied system represents the basic building block for larger systems, allowing for quantum simulations of bosonic many-body systems with a larger number of lattice sites.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Sideband-resolved resonator electromechanics on the single-photon level based on a nonlinear Josephson inductance

Light-matter interaction in optomechanical systems is the foundation for ultra-sensitive detection schemes [1,2] as well as the generation of phononic and photonic quantum states [3-10]. Electromechanical systems realize this optomechanical interaction in the microwave regime. In this context, capacitive coupling arrangements demonstrated interaction rates of up to 280 Hz [11]. Complementary, early proposals [12-15] and experiments [16,17] suggest that inductive coupling schemes are tunable and have the potential to reach the vacuum strong-coupling regime. Here, we follow the latter approach by integrating a partly suspended superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) into a microwave resonator. The mechanical displacement translates into a time varying flux in the SQUID loop, thereby providing an inductive electromechanical coupling. We demonstrate a sideband-resolved electromechanical system with a tunable vacuum coupling rate of up to 1.62 kHz, realizing sub-aN Hz-1/2 force sensitivities. Moreover, we study the frequency splitting of the microwave resonator for large mechanical amplitudes confirming the large coupling. The presented inductive coupling scheme shows the high potential of SQUID-based electromechanics for targeting the full wealth of the intrinsically nonlinear optomechanics Hamiltonian.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Ultrawide-range photon number calibration using a hybrid system combining nano-electromechanics and superconducting circuit quantum electrodynamics

We present a hybrid system consisting of a superconducting coplanar waveguide resonator coupled to a nanomechanical string and a transmon qubit acting as nonlinear circuit element. We perform spectroscopy for both the transmon qubit and the nanomechanical string. Measuring the ac-Stark shift on the transmon qubit as well as the electromechanically induced absorption on the string allows us to determine the average photon number in the microwave resonator in both the low and high power regimes. In this way, we measure photon numbers that are up to nine orders of magnitude apart. We find a quantitative agreement between the calibration of photon numbers in the microwave resonator using the two methods. Our experiments demonstrate the successful combination of superconducting circuit quantum electrodynamics and nano-electromechanics on a single chip.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Parity-Engineered Light-Matter Interaction

The concept of parity describes the inversion symmetry of a system and is of fundamental relevance in the standard model, quantum information processing, and field theory. In quantum electrodynamics, parity is conserved and large field gradients are required to engineer the parity of the light-matter interaction operator. In this work, we engineer a potassium-like artificial atom represented by a specifically designed superconducting flux qubit. We control the wave function parity of the artificial atom with an effective orbital momentum provided by a resonator. By irradiating the artificial atom with spatially shaped microwave fields, we select the interaction parity in situ. In this way, we observe dipole and quadrupole selection rules for single state transitions and induce transparency via longitudinal coupling. Our work advances the design of tunable artificial multilevel atoms to a new level, which is particularly promising with respect to quantum chemistry simulations with near-term superconducting circuits.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Compact 3D quantum memory

Superconducting 3D microwave cavities offer state-of-the-art coherence times and a well controlled environment for superconducting qubits. In order to realize at the same time fast readout and long-lived quantum information storage, one can couple the qubit both to a low-quality readout and a high-quality storage cavity. However, such systems are bulky compared to their less coherent 2D counterparts. A more compact and scalable approach is achieved by making use of the multimode structure of a 3D cavity. In our work, we investigate such a device where a transmon qubit is capacitively coupled to two modes of a single 3D cavity. The external coupling is engineered so that the memory mode has an about 100 times larger quality factor than the readout mode. Using an all-microwave second-order protocol, we realize a lifetime enhancement of the stored state over the qubit lifetime by a factor of $6$ with a fidelity of approximately $80\%$ determined via quantum process tomography. We also find that this enhancement is not limited by fundamental constraints.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Flux-driven Josephson parametric amplifiers: Hysteretic flux response and nondegenerate gain measurements

Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPA) have become key devices in quantum science and technology with superconducting circuits. In particular, they can be utilized as quantum-limited amplifiers or as a source of squeezed microwave fields. Here, we report on the detailed measurements of five flux-driven JPAs, three of them exhibiting a hysteretic dependence of the resonant frequency versus the applied magnetic flux. We model the measured characteristics by numerical simulations based on the two-dimensional potential landscape of the dc superconducting quantum interference devices (dc-SQUID), which provide the JPA nonlinearity, for a finite screening parameter $β_\mathrm{L}\,{>}\,0$ and demonstrate excellent agreement between the numerical results and the experimental data. Furthermore, we study the nondegenerate response of different JPAs and accurately describe the experimental results with our theory.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Loss mechanisms in superconducting thin film microwave resonators

We present a systematic analysis of the internal losses of superconducting coplanar waveguide microwave resonators based on niobium thin films on silicon substrates. In particular, we investigate losses introduced by Nb/Al interfaces in the center conductor, which is important for experiments where Al based Josephson junctions are integrated into Nb based circuits. We find that these interfaces can be a strong source for two-level state (TLS) losses, when the interfaces are not positioned at current nodes of the resonator. In addition to TLS losses, for resonators including Al, quasiparticle losses become relevant above 200 mK. Finally, we investigate how losses generated by eddy currents in conductive material on the backside of the substrate can be minimized by using thick enough substrates or metals with high conductivity on the substrate backside.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Spin-boson model with an engineered reservoir in circuit quantum electrodynamics

A superconducting qubit coupled to an open transmission line represents an implementation of the spin-boson model with a broadband environment. We show that this environment can be engineered by introducing partial reflectors into the transmission line, allowing to shape the spectral function, J(ω), of the spin-boson model. The spectral function can be accessed by measuring the resonance fluorescence of the qubit, which provides information on both the engineered environment and the coupling between qubit and transmission line. The spectral function of a transmission line without partial reflectors is found to be Ohmic over a wide frequency range, whereas a peaked spectral density is found for the shaped environment. Our work lays the ground for future quantum simulations of other, more involved, impurity models with superconducting circuits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

High cooperativity in coupled microwave resonator ferrimagnetic insulator hybrids

We report the observation of strong coupling between the exchange-coupled spins in gallium-doped yttrium iron garnet and a superconducting coplanar microwave resonator made from Nb. The measured coupling rate of 450 MHz is proportional to the square-root of the number of exchange-coupled spins and well exceeds the loss rate of 50 MHz of the spin system. This demonstrates that exchange coupled systems are suitable for cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments, while allowing high integration densities due to their extraordinary high spin densities. Our results furthermore show, that experiments with multiple exchange-coupled spin systems interacting via a single resonator are within reach.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Networks of nonlinear superconducting transmission line resonators

We investigate a network of coupled superconducting transmission line resonators, each of them made nonlinear with a capacitively shunted Josephson junction coupling to the odd flux modes of the resonator. The resulting eigenmode spectrum shows anticrossings between the plasma mode of the shunted junction and the odd resonator modes. Notably, we find that the combined device can inherit the complete nonlinearity of the junction, allowing for a description as a harmonic oscillator with a Kerr nonlinearity. Using a dc SQUID instead of a single junction, the nonlinearity can be tuned between 10 kHz and 4 MHz while maintaining resonance frequencies of a few gigahertz for realistic device parameters. An array of such nonlinear resonators can be considered a scalable superconducting quantum simulator for a Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian. The device would be capable of accessing the strongly correlated regime and be particularly well suited for investigating quantum many-body dynamics of interacting particles under the influence of drive and dissipation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Control of microwave signals using circuit nano-electromechanics

Waveguide resonators are crucial elements in sensitive astrophysical detectors [1] and circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) [2]. Coupled to artificial atoms in the form of superconducting qubits [3, 4], they now provide a technologically promising and scalable platform for quantum information processing tasks [2, 5-8]. Coupling these circuits, in situ, to other quantum systems, such as molecules [9, 10], spin ensembles [11, 12], quantum dots [13] or mechanical oscillators [14, 15] has been explored to realize hybrid systems with extended functionality. Here, we couple a superconducting coplanar waveguide resonator to a nano-coshmechanical oscillator, and demonstrate all-microwave field controlled slowing, advancing and switching of microwave signals. This is enabled by utilizing electromechanically induced transparency [16-18], an effect analogous to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in atomic physics [19]. The exquisite temporal control gained over this phenomenon provides a route towards realizing advanced protocols for storage of both classical and quantum microwave signals [20-22], extending the toolbox of control techniques of the microwave field.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Two-resonator circuit QED: Dissipative Theory

We present a theoretical treatment for the dissipative two-resonator circuit quantum electrodynamics setup referred to as quantum switch. There, switchable coupling between two superconducting resonators is mediated by a superconducting qubit operating in the dispersive regime, where the qubit transition frequency is far detuned from those of the resonators. We derive an effective Hamiltonian for the quantum switch beyond the rotating wave approximation and study the dissipative dynamics within a Bloch-Redfield quantum master equation approach. We derive analytically how the qubit affects the quantum switch even if the qubit has no dynamics, and we estimate the strength of this influence. The analytical results are corroborated by numerical calculations, where coherent oscillations between the resonators, the decay of coherent and Fock states, and the decay of resonator-resonator entanglement are studied. Finally, we suggest an experimental protocol for extracting the damping constants of qubit and resonators by measuring the quadratures of the resonator fields.

cond-mat.supr-con↗