arXiv subjects

Brian Baker

Publications and source records attributed to Brian Baker.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Single-exposure holographic lithography of ultra-high aspect-ratio microstructures

Volumetric lithography offers a path to scalable fabrication of complex three-dimensional (3D) micro- and nanoscale architectures, yet existing approaches are limited by quasi-two-dimensional exposure physics or slow serial writing. We present a single-exposure volumetric fabrication strategy that enables creation of ultrahigh-aspect-ratio 3D structures with 6 um minimum features. An inverse-designed volumetric (holographic) phase mask generates an extended-depth-of-field intensity distribution inside a photoresist volume while preserving high transverse resolution, enabling uniform polymerization of the full volume in a single exposure. With exposure times of approximately 20 s, we fabricate lattices, Penrose tilings, and micromechanical elements with feature sizes down to 6 um over volumes up to 800 x 800 x 720 um^3, achieving aspect ratios exceeding 120:1. Quantitative analysis of capillary flow in hollow lattices demonstrates controlled fluid transport with an effective capillary transport coefficient of 176.3 um/(ms)^(1/2). In situ nanoindentation-based micro-compression reveals that the printed 3D hexagonal close-packed lattices exhibit a well-defined linear elastic regime with an effective Young's modulus of 5.7 GPa, followed by progressive buckling and densification characteristic of mechanically robust cellular architectures. Overlapping, tilted and multi-mask exposures further enable quasi-3D complex geometries with potential for reconfigurability. This approach establishes a new regime of high-throughput volumetric fabrication.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

Monolithic all-Silicon Flat lens for broadband LWIR Imaging

We designed, fabricated and characterized a flat multi-level diffractive lens (MDL) comprised of only silicon with diameter = 15.2mm, focal length of 19mm, and operating over the longwave infrared (LWIR) spectrum of 8um to 14um. We experimentally demonstrated field of view of 46deg, depth of focus >7mm and wavelength-averaged Strehl ratio of 0.46. All these metrics were comparable to those of a conventional refractive lens. The active device thickness is only 8um and its weight (including the silicon substrate) is less than 0.2g.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

Protecting a Bosonic Qubit with Autonomous Quantum Error Correction

To build a universal quantum computer from fragile physical qubits, effective implementation of quantum error correction (QEC) is an essential requirement and a central challenge. Existing demonstrations of QEC are based on a schedule of discrete error syndrome measurements and adaptive recovery operations. These active routines are hardware intensive, prone to introducing and propagating errors, and expected to consume a vast majority of the processing power in a large-scale quantum computer. In principle, QEC can be realized autonomously and continuously by tailoring dissipation within the quantum system, but this strategy has remained challenging so far. Here we encode a logical qubit in Schrödinger cat-like multiphoton states of a superconducting cavity, and demonstrate a corrective dissipation process that directly stabilizes an error syndrome operator: the photon number parity. Implemented with continuous-wave control fields only, this passive protocol realizes autonomous correction against single-photon loss and boosts the coherence time of the multiphoton qubit by over a factor of two. Notably, QEC is realized in a modest hardware setup with neither high-fidelity readout nor fast digital feedback, in contrast to the technological sophistication required for prior QEC demonstrations. Compatible with other error suppression and phase stabilization techniques, our experiment suggests reservoir engineering as a resource-efficient alternative or supplement to active QEC in future quantum computing architectures.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Universal gates for protected superconducting qubits using optimal control

We employ quantum optimal control theory to realize quantum gates for two protected superconducting circuits: the heavy-fluxonium qubit and the 0-$π$ qubit. Utilizing automatic differentiation facilitates the simultaneous inclusion of multiple optimization targets, allowing one to obtain high-fidelity gates with realistic pulse shapes. For both qubits, disjoint support of low-lying wave functions prevents direct population transfer between the computational-basis states. Instead, optimal control favors dynamics involving higher-lying levels, effectively lifting the protection for a fraction of the gate duration. For the 0-$π$ qubit, offset-charge dependence of matrix elements among higher levels poses an additional challenge for gate protocols. To mitigate this issue, we randomize the offset charge during the optimization process, steering the system towards pulse shapes insensitive to charge variations. Closed-system fidelities obtained are 99% or higher, and show slight reductions in open-system simulations.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Observation and stabilization of photonic Fock states in a hot radio-frequency resonator

Detecting weak radio-frequency electromagnetic fields plays a crucial role in wide range of fields, from radio astronomy to nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. In quantum mechanics, the ultimate limit of a weak field is a single-photon. Detecting and manipulating single-photons at megahertz frequencies presents a challenge as, even at cryogenic temperatures, thermal fluctuations are significant. Here, we use a gigahertz superconducting qubit to directly observe the quantization of a megahertz radio-frequency electromagnetic field. Using the qubit, we achieve quantum control over thermal photons, cooling to the ground-state and stabilizing photonic Fock states. Releasing the resonator from our control, we directly observe its re-thermalization dynamics with the bath with nanosecond resolution. Extending circuit quantum electrodynamics to a new regime, we enable the exploration of thermodynamics at the quantum scale and allow interfacing quantum circuits with megahertz systems such as spin systems or macroscopic mechanical oscillators.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Adaptive Rotating-Wave Approximation for Driven Open Quantum Systems

We present a numerical method to approximate the long-time asymptotic solution $ρ_\infty(t)$ to the Lindblad master equation for an open quantum system under the influence of an external drive. The proposed scheme uses perturbation theory to rank individual drive terms according to their dynamical relevance, and adaptively determines an effective Hamiltonian. In the constructed rotating frame, $ρ_\infty$ is approximated by a time-independent, nonequilibrium steady-state. This steady-state can be computed with much better numerical efficiency than asymptotic long-time evolution of the system in the lab frame. We illustrate the use of this method by simulating recent transmission measurements of the heavy-fluxonium device, for which ordinary time-dependent simulations are severely challenging due to the presence of metastable states with lifetimes of the order of milliseconds.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Realization of a $Λ$ system with metastable states of a capacitively-shunted fluxonium

We realize a $Λ$ system in a superconducting circuit, with metastable states exhibiting lifetimes up to 8\,ms. We exponentially suppress the tunneling matrix elements involved in spontaneous energy relaxation by creating a "heavy" fluxonium, realized by adding a capacitive shunt to the original circuit design. The device allows for both cavity-assisted and direct fluorescent readout, as well as state preparation schemes akin to optical pumping. Since direct transitions between the metastable states are strongly suppressed, we utilize Raman transitions for coherent manipulation of the states.

quant-ph↗