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G. Wendin

Publications and source records attributed to G. Wendin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Quantum information processing with superconducting circuits: a perspective

The last five years have seen a dramatic evolution of platforms for quantum computing, taking the field from physics experiments to quantum hardware and software engineering. Nevertheless, despite this progress of quantum processors, the field is still in the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) regime, seriously limiting the performance of software applications. Key issues involve how to achieve quantum advantage in useful applications for quantum optimization and materials science, connected to the concept of quantum supremacy first demonstrated by Google in 2019. In this article we will describe recent work to establish relevant benchmarks for quantum supremacy and quantum advantage, present recent work on applications of variational quantum algorithms for optimization and electronic structure determination, discuss how to achieve practical quantum advantage, and finally outline current work and ideas about how to scale up to competitive quantum systems.

quant-ph

Benchmarking the Variational Quantum Eigensolver through Simulation of the Ground State Energy of Prebiotic Molecules on High-Performance Computers

We use the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) as implemented in the Qiskit software package to compute the ground state energy of small molecules derived from water, H$_2$O, and hydrogen cyanide, HCN. The work aims to benchmark algorithms for calculating the electronic structure and energy surfaces of molecules of relevance to prebiotic chemistry, beginning with water and hydrogen cyanide, and to run them on the available simulated and physical quantum hardware. The numerical calculations of the algorithms for small quantum processors allow us to design more efficient protocols to be run in real hardware, as well as to analyze their performance. Future implementations on accessible quantum processing prototypes will benchmark quantum computers and provide tests of quantum advantage with heuristic quantum algorithms.

quant-ph

Quantum information processing with superconducting circuits: a review

During the last ten years, superconducting circuits have passed from being interesting physical devices to becoming contenders for near-future useful and scalable quantum information processing (QIP). Advanced quantum simulation experiments have been shown with up to nine qubits, while a demonstration of Quantum Supremacy with fifty qubits is anticipated in just a few years. Quantum Supremacy means that the quantum system can no longer be simulated by the most powerful classical supercomputers. Integrated classical-quantum computing systems are already emerging that can be used for software development and experimentation, even via web interfaces. Therefore, the time is ripe for describing some of the recent development of superconducting devices, systems and applications. As such, the discussion of superconducting qubits and circuits is limited to devices that are proven useful for current or near future applications. Consequently, the centre of interest is the practical applications of QIP, such as computation and simulation in Physics and Chemistry.

quant-ph

Current noise in diffusive SNS junctions in the incoherent MAR regime (a review)

We present a theory for the current shot noise in long diffusive SNS structures with low-resistive interfaces at arbitrary temperatures. In such structures, the noise is mostly generated by normal electron scattering in the N-region. Whereas the $I$-$V$ characteristics are approximately described by Ohm's law, the current noise reveals all characteristic features of the MAR regime: "giant" enhancement at low voltages, pronounced SGS, and excess noise at large voltages. The most spectacular feature of the noise in the incoherent MAR regime is a universal finite noise level at zero voltage and at zero temperature, $S= 4Δ/3R$. This effect can be understood as the result of the enhancement of the effective charge of the carriers, $q^{\it eff}=2Δ/V$, or, alternatively, as the effect of strongly non-equilibrium quasiparticle population in the energy gap region with the effective temperature $T_0=Δ/3$. Under the condition of dominant electron-electron scattering, the junction undergoes crossover to the hot electron regime, with the effective temperature of the subgap electrons decreasing logarithmically with the voltage. Calculation of the noise power has been done on the basis of circuit theory of the incoherent MAR.

cond-mat.supr-con

Cumulene Molecular Wire Conductance from First Principles

We present first principles calculations of current-voltage characteristics (IVC) and conductance of Au(111):S2-cumulene-S2:Au(111) molecular wire junctions with realistic contacts. The transport properties are calculated using full self-consistent ab initio NEGF-DFT methods under external bias. The conductance of the cumulene wires shows oscillatory behavior depending on the number of carbon atoms (double bonds). Among all conjugated oligomers, we find that cumulene wires with odd number of carbon atoms yield the highest conductance with metallic-like ballistic transport behavior. The reason is the high density of states in broad LUMO levels spanning the Fermi level of the electrodes. The transmission spectrum and the conductance depend only weakly on applied bias, and the IVC is nearly linear over a bias region from +1 to -1 V. Cumulene wires are therefore potential candidates for metallic connections in nanoelectronic applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Manipulation with Andreev states in spin active mesoscopic Josephson junctions

We investigate manipulation with Andreev bound states in Josephson quantum point contacts with magnetic scattering. Rabi oscillations in the two-level Andreev subsystems are excited by resonant driving the direction of magnetic moment of the scatterer, and by modulating the superconducting phase difference across the contact. The Andreev level dynamics is manifested by temporal oscillation of the Josephson current, accompanied, in the case of magnetic manipulation, also by oscillation of the Andreev states spin polarization. The interlevel transitions obey a selection rule that forbids manipulations in a certain region of external parameters, and results from specific properties of Andreev bound states in magnetic contacts: 4$π$-periodicity with respect to the superconducting phase, and strong spontaneous spin polarization.

cond-mat.supr-con

Implementation of the three-qubit phase-flip error correction code with superconducting qubits

We investigate the performance of a three qubit error correcting code in the framework of superconducting qubit implementations. Such a code can recover a quantum state perfectly in the case of dephasing errors but only in situations where the dephasing rate is low. Numerical studies in previous work have however shown that the code does increase the fidelity of the encoded state even in the presence of high error probability, during both storage and processing. In this work we give analytical expressions for the fidelity of such a code. We consider two specific schemes for qubit-qubit interaction realizable in superconducting systems; one $σ_zσ_z$-coupling and one cavity mediated coupling. With these realizations in mind, and considering errors during storing as well as processing, we calculate the maximum operation time allowed in order to still benefit from the code. We show that this limit can be reached with current technology.

cond-mat.supr-con

Arbitrary accuracy iterative phase estimation algorithm as a two qubit benchmark

We discuss the implementation of an iterative quantum phase estimation algorithm, with a single ancillary qubit. We suggest using this algorithm as a benchmark for multi-qubit implementations. Furthermore we describe in detail the smallest possible realization, using only two qubits, and exemplify with a superconducting circuit. We discuss the robustness of the algorithm in the presence of gate errors, and show that 7 bits of precision is obtainable, even with very limited gate accuracies.

quant-ph

Multiparticle tunneling in diffusive superconducting junctions

We formulate a theoretical framework to describe multiparticle current transport in planar superconducting tunnel junctions with diffusive electrodes. The approach is based on direct solving of quasiclassical Keldysh-Green function equations for nonequilibrium superconductors, and consists of a combination of a circuit theory analysis and improved perturbation expansion. The theory predicts much greater scaling parameter for the subharmonic gap structure of the tunnel current in diffusive junctions compared to the one in ballistic junctions and mesoscopic constrictions with the same barrier transparency.

cond-mat.supr-con

Selective coupling of superconducting qubits via tunable stripline cavity

We theoretically investigate selective coupling of superconducting charge qubits mediated by a superconducting stripline cavity with a tunable resonance frequency. The frequency control is provided by a flux biased dc-SQUID attached to the cavity. Selective entanglement of the qubit states is achieved by sweeping the cavity frequency through the qubit-cavity resonances. The circuit is scalable, and allows to keep the qubits at their optimal points with respect to decoherence during the whole operation. We derive an effective quantum Hamiltonian for the basic, two-qubit-cavity system, and analyze appropriate circuit parameters. We present a protocol for performing Bell inequality measurements, and discuss a composite pulse sequence generating a universal control-phase gate.

cond-mat.supr-con

Subgap current in superconducting tunnel junctions with diffusive electrodes

We calculate the subgap current in planar superconducting tunnel junctions with thin-film diffusive leads. It is found that the subharmonic gap structure of the tunnel current scales with an effective tunneling transparency which may exceed the junction transparency by up to two orders of magnitude depending on the junction geometry and the ratio between the coherence length and the elastic scattering length. These results provide an alternative explanation of anomalously high values of the subgap current in tunnelling experiments often ascribed to imperfection of the insulating layer. We also discuss the effect of finite lifetime of quasiparticles as the possible origin of additional enhancement of multiparticle tunnel currents.

cond-mat.supr-con

Critical Roles of Metal-Molecule Contacts in Electron Transport Through Molecular-wire Junctions

We study the variation of electron transmission through Au-S-benzene-S-Au junctions and related systems as a function of the structure of the Au:S contacts. For junctions with semi-infinite flat Au(111) electrodes, the highly coordinated in-hollow and bridge positions are connected with broad transmission peaks around the Fermi level, due to a broad range of transmission angles from transverse motion, resulting in high conductivity and weak dependence on geometrical variations. In contrast, for (unstable) S-adsorption on top of an Au atom, or in the hollow of a 3-Au-atom island, the transmission peaks narrow up due to suppression of large transmission angles. Such more one-dimensional situations may describe more common types of contacts and junctions, resulting in large variations in conductivity and sensitivity to bonding sites, tilting and gating. In particular, if S is adsorbed in an Au vacancy, sharp spectral features appear near the Fermi level due to essential changes of the level structure and hybridization in the contacts, admitting order-of-magnitude variations of the conductivity. Possibly such a system, can it be fabricated, will show extremely strong non-linear effects and might work as uni- or bi-directional voltage-controlled 2-terminal switches and non-linear mixing elements. Finally, density-functional-theory (DFT) based transport calculations seem relevant, being capable of describing a wide range of transmission peak structures and conductivities. Prediction and interpretation of experimental results probably require more precise modeling of realistic experimental situations.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Readout methods and devices for Josephson-junction-based solid-state qubits

We discuss the current situation concerning measurement and readout of Josephson-junction based qubits. In particular we focus attention of dispersive low-dissipation techniques involving reflection of radiation from an oscillator circuit coupled to a qubit, allowing single-shot determination of the state of the qubit. In particular we develop a formalism describing a charge qubit read out by measuring its effective (quantum) capacitance. To exemplify, we also give explicit formulas for the readout time.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Nonequilibrium effects in tunnel Josephson junctions

We study nonequilibrium effects in current transport through voltage biased tunnel junction with long diffusive superconducting leads at low applied voltage, $eV \ll 2Δ$, and finite temperatures. Due to a small value of the Josephson frequency, the quasiparticle spectrum adiabatically follows the time evolution of the superconducting phase difference, which results in the formation of oscillating bound states in the vicinity of the tunnel junction (Andreev band). The quasiparticles trapped by the Andreev band generate higher even harmonics of the Josephson ac current, and also, in the presence of inelastic scattering, a non-equilibrium dc current, which may considerably exceed the dc quasiparticle current given by the tunnel model. The distribution of travelling quasiparticles also deviates from the equilibrium due to the spectrum oscillations, which results in an additional contribution to the dc current, proportional to $\sqrt{V}$.

cond-mat.supr-con

Superconducting qubit network with controllable nearest neighbor coupling

We investigate the design and functionality of a network of loop-shaped charge qubits with switchable nearest-neighbor coupling. The qubit coupling is achieved by placing large Josephson junctions at the intersections of the qubit loops and selectively applying bias currents. The network is scalable and makes it possible to perform a universal set of quantum gates. The coupling scheme allows gate operation at the charge degeneracy point of each qubit, and also applies to charge-phase qubits. Additional Josephson junctions included in the qubit loops for qubit readout can also be employed for qubit coupling.

cond-mat.supr-con

Dynamics and phonon-induced decoherence of Andreev level qubit

We present detailed theory for Andreev level qubit, the system consisting of a highly transmissive quantum point contact embedded in a superconducting loop. The two-level Hamiltonian for Andreev levels interacting with quantum phase fluctuations is derived by using the path integral method. We also derive kinetic equation describing qubit decoherence due to interaction of the Andreev levels with acoustic phonons. The collision terms are non-linear due to fermionic nature of the Andreev states, leading to slow non-exponential relaxation and dephasing of the qubit at temperature smaller than the qubit level spacing.

cond-mat.supr-con

Nonlinear conductance in molecular devices: molecular length dependence

We theoretically study the electronic transport in the monolayer of dithiolated phenylene vinylene oligomeres coupled to the (111) surfaces of gold electrodes. We use non-equilibrium Green functions (NEGF) and density functional theory(DFT) implemented in the TranSIESTA package to obtain a full ab initio self-consistent description ofthe transport current through the molecular nanostructure with different electrochemical bias potentials. The calculated current-voltage characteristics (IVC) of the systems for the same contact geometry have shown a systematic decrease of the conductivity with the increased length of the molecules. We analyze the results in terms of transmission eigenchannels and find that besides the delocalization of molecular orbitals the distance between gold electrodes also determines the transport properties.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci