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Franco Nori

Publications and source records attributed to Franco Nori.

At least 811 records · Page 45Linked to original sources
arXiv2006

Macroscopic Quantum Criticality in a Circuit QED

Cavity quantum electrodynamic (QED) is studied for two strongly-coupled charge qubits interacting with a single-mode quantized field, which is provided by a on-chip transmission line resonator. We analyze the dressed state structure of this superconducting circuit QED system and the selection rules of electromagnetic-induced transitions between any two of these dressed states. Its macroscopic quantum criticality, in the form of ground state level crossing, is also analyzed, resulting from competition between the Ising-type inter-qubit coupling and the controllable on-site potentials.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2006

Quantum electromechanics: Quantum tunneling near resonance and qubits from buckling nanobars

Analyzing recent experimental results, we find similar behaviors and a deep analogy between three-junction superconducting qubits and suspended carbon nanotubes. When these different systems are ac-driven near their resonances, the resonance single-peak, observed at weak driving, splits into two sub-peaks (Fig. 1) when the driving increases. This unusual behavior can be explained by considering quantum tunneling in a double well potential for both systems. Inspired by these experiments, we propose a mechanical qubit based on buckling nanobars--a NEMS so small as to be quantum coherent. To establish buckling nanobars as legitimate candidates for qubits, we calculate the effective buckling potential that produces the two-level system and identify the tunnel coupling between the two local states. We propose different designs of nanomechanical qubits and describe how they can be manipulated. Also, we outline possible decoherence channels and detection schemes. A comparison between nanobars and well studied superconducting qubits suggests several future experiments on quantum electromechanics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2005

Coherently manipulating two-qubit quantum information using a pair of simultaneous laser pulses

Several sequential operations are usually needed for implementing controlled quantum gates and generating entanglement between a pair of quantum bits. Based on the conditional quantum dynamics for a two-ion system beyond the Lamb-Dicke limit, here we propose a theoretical scheme for manipulating two-qubit quantum information, i.e., implementing a universal two-qubit quantum gate and generating a two-qubit entangled state, by using a pair of simultaneous laser pulses. Neither the Lamb-Dicke approximation nor the auxiliary atomic level are required. The experimental realizability of this simple approach is also discussed.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Hybridized solid-state qubit in the charge-flux regime

Most superconducting qubits operate in a regime dominated by either the electrical charge or the magnetic flux. Here we study an intermediate case: a hybridized charge-flux qubit with a third Josephson junction (JJ) added into the SQUID loop of the Cooper-pair box. This additional JJ allows the optimal design of a low-decoherence qubit. Both charge and flux $1/f$ noises are considered. Moreover, we show that an efficient quantum measurement of either the current or the charge can be achieved by using different area sizes for the third JJ.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2005

Coherent photons and macroscopic cat states generated by a cyclic artificial atom with broken symmetry

We propose a novel method to generate non-classical states of a single-mode microwave field, and to produce macroscopic cat states by virtue of a three-level system with $Δ$-shaped (or cyclic) transitions. This exotic system can be implemented by a superconducting quantum circuit with a broken symmetry in its effective potential. Using the cyclic population transfer, controllable single-mode photon states can be created in the third transition when two classical fields are applied to induce the other two transitions. This is because, for large detuning, two classical fields are equivalent to an effective external force, which derives the quantized single mode. Our approach is valid not only for superconducting quantum circuits but also for any three-level quantum system with $Δ$-shaped transitions

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Measuring the quality factor of a microwave cavity using superconduting qubit devices

We propose a method to create superpositions of two macroscopic quantum states of a single-mode microwave cavity field interacting with a superconducting charge qubit. The decoherence of such superpositions can be determined by measuring either the Wigner function of the cavity field or the charge qubit states. Then the quality factor Q of the cavity can be inferred from the decoherence of the superposed states. The proposed method is experimentally realizable within current technology even when the $Q$ value is relatively low, and the interaction between the qubit and the cavity field is weak.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Critical currents in superconductors with quasiperiodic pinning arrays: One-dimensional chains and two-dimensional Penrose lattices

We study the critical depinning current J_c, as a function of the applied magnetic flux Phi, for quasiperiodic (QP) pinning arrays, including one-dimensional (1D) chains and two-dimensional (2D) arrays of pinning centers placed on the nodes of a five-fold Penrose lattice. In 1D QP chains of pinning sites, the peaks in J_c(Phi) are shown to be determined by a sequence of harmonics of long and short periods of the chain. This sequence includes as a subset the sequence of successive Fibonacci numbers. We also analyze the evolution of J_c(Phi) while a continuous transition occurs from a periodic lattice of pinning centers to a QP one; the continuous transition is achieved by varying the ratio gamma = a_S/a_L of lengths of the short a_S and the long a_L segments, starting from gamma = 1 for a periodic sequence. We find that the peaks related to the Fibonacci sequence are most pronounced when gamma is equal to the "golden mean". The critical current J_c(Phi) in QP lattice has a remarkable self-similarity. This effect is demonstrated both in real space and in reciprocal k-space. In 2D QP pinning arrays (e.g., Penrose lattices), the pinning of vortices is related to matching conditions between the vortex lattice and the QP lattice of pinning centers. Although more subtle to analyze than in 1D pinning chains, the structure in J_c(Phi) is determined by the presence of two different kinds of elements forming the 2D QP lattice. Indeed, we predict analytically and numerically the main features of J_c(Phi) for Penrose lattices. Comparing the J_c's for QP (Penrose), periodic (triangular) and random arrays of pinning sites, we have found that the QP lattice provides an unusually broad critical current J_c(Phi), that could be useful for practical applications demanding high J_c's over a wide range of fields.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2005

Generation of tunable Terahertz radiation using Josephson vortices

We propose how to control the THz radiation generated by fast moving Josephson vortices in spatially modulated (either along the c-axis or the ab-plane) samples of Bi-2212 and related superconducting compounds. We show that the JVs moving in a subset of weaker junctions can generate out-of-ab-plane and outside-the-cone Cherenkov radiation. The ab-plane modulation of superconducting properties (achieved, for instance, by ion irradiation lithography) can result in transition radiation within certain frequency windows, i.e., allowing the design of tunable THz emitters and THz photonic crystals.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2005

Generation of tunable Terahertz out-of-plane radiation using Josephson vortices in modulated layered superconductors

We show that a moving Josephson vortex in spatially modulated layered superconductors generates out-of-plane THz radiation. Remarkably, the magnetic and in-plane electric fields radiated are of the same order, which is very unusual for any good-conducting medium. Therefore, the out-of-plane radiation can be emitted to the vacuum without the standard impedance mismatch problem. Thus, the proposed design can be more efficient for tunable THz emitters than previous proposals, for radiation only propagating along the ab-plane.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2005

Surface Josephson plasma waves in layered superconductors

We predict the existence of surface waves in layered superconductors in the THz frequency range, below the Josephson plasma frequency $ω_J$. This wave propagates along the vacuum-superconductor interface and dampens in both transverse directions out of the surface (i.e., towards the superconductor and towards the vacuum). This is the first prediction of propagating surface waves in any superconductor. These predicted surface Josephson plasma waves are important for different phenomena, including the complete suppression of the specular reflection from a sample (Wood's anomalies) and a huge enhancement of the wave absorption (which can be used as a THz detector).

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2005

Optical selection rules and phase-dependent adiabatic state control in a superconducting quantum circuit

We analyze the optical selection rules of the microwave-assisted transitions in a flux qubit superconducting quantum circuit (SQC). We show that the parities of the states relevant to the superconducting phase in the SQC are well-defined when the external magnetic flux $Φ_{e}=Φ_{0}/2$, then the selection rules are same as the ones for the electric-dipole transitions in usual atoms. When $Φ_{e}\neq Φ_{0}/2$, the symmetry of the potential of the artificial "atom'' is broken, a so-called $Δ$-type "cyclic" three-level atom is formed, where one- and two-photon processes can coexist. We study how the population of these three states can be selectively transferred by adiabatically controlling the electromagnetic field pulses. Different from $Λ$-type atoms, the adiabatic population transfer in our three-level $Δ$-atom can be controlled not only by the amplitudes but also by the phases of the pulses.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Correlation-induced suppression of decoherence in capacitively coupled Cooper-pair boxes

Charge fluctuations from gate bias and background traps severely limit the performance of a charge qubit in a Cooper-pair box (CPB). Here we present an experimentally realizable method to control the decoherence effects of these charge fluctuations using two strongly capacitively coupled CPBs. This coupled-box system has a low-decoherence subspace of two states. Our results show that the inter-box Coulomb correlation can help significantly suppress decoherence of this two-level system, making it a promising candidate as a logical qubit, encoded using two CPBs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2005

Quantum transducers: Integrating Transmission Lines and Nanomechanical Resonators via Charge Qubits

We propose a mechanism to interface a transmission line resonator (TLR) with a nano-mechanical resonator (NAMR) by commonly coupling them to a charge qubit, a Cooper pair box with a controllable gate voltage. Integrated in this quantum transducer or simple quantum network, the charge qubit plays the role of a controllable quantum node coherently exchanging quantum information between the TLR and NAMR. With such an interface, a maser-like process is predicted to create a quasi-classical state of the NAMR by controlling a single-mode classical current in the TLR. Alternatively, a "Cooper pair" coherent output through the transmission line can be driven by a single-mode classical oscillation of the NAMR.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Testing Bell's inequality in constantly coupled Josephson circuits by effective single-qubit operations

In superconducting circuits with interbit untunable (e.g., capacitive) couplings, ideal local quantum operations cannot be exactly performed on individual Josephson qubits. Here we propose an effective dynamical decoupling approach to overcome the "fixed-interaction" difficulty for effectively implementing elemental logical gates for quantum computation. The proposed single-qubit operations and local measurements should allow testing Bell's inequality with a pair of capacitively-coupled Josephson qubits. This provides a powerful approach, besides spectral-analysis [Nature \textbf{421}, 823 (2003); Science \textbf{300}, 1548 (2003)], to verify the existence of macroscopic quantum entanglement between two fixed-coupling Josephson qubits.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Tomographic measurements on superconducting qubit states

We propose an approach to reconstruct any superconducting charge qubit state by using quantum state tomography. This procedure requires a series of measurements on a large enough number of identically prepared copies of the quantum system. The experimental feasibility of this procedure is explained and the time scales for different quantum operations are estimated according to experimentally accessible parameters. Based on the state tomography, we also investigate the possibility of the process tomography.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Preparation of macroscopic quantum superposition states of a cavity field via coupling to a superconducting charge qubit

We propose how to generate macroscopic quantum superposition states using a microwave cavity containing a superconducting charge qubit. Based on the measurement of charge states, we show that the superpositions of two macroscopically distinguishable coherent states of a single-mode cavity field can be generated by a controllable interaction between a cavity field and a charge qubit. After such superpositions of the cavity field are created, the interaction can be switched off by the classical magnetic field, and there is no information transfer between the cavity field and the charge qubit. We also discuss the generation of the superpositions of two squeezed coherent states.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Fast two-bit operations in inductively coupled flux qubits

A central problem for implementing efficient quantum computing is how to realize fast operations (both one- and two-bit ones). However, this is difficult to achieve for a collection of qubits, especially for those separated far away, because the interbit coupling is usually much weaker than the intrabit coupling. Here we present an experimentally feasible method to effectively couple two flux qubits via a common inductance and treat both single and coupled flux qubits with more realistic models which include the loop inductance. The main advantage of our proposal is that a strong interbit coupling can be achieved using a small inductance, so that two-bit operations as fast as one-bit ones can be easily realized. We also show the flux dependence of the transitions between states for the coupled flux qubits.

cond-mat.supr-con↗