arXiv subjects

I. Siddiqi

Publications and source records attributed to I. Siddiqi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

Quantum State Sensitivity of an Autoresonant Superconducting Circuit

When a frequency chirped excitation is applied to a classical high-Q nonlinear oscillator, its motion becomes dynamically synchronized to the drive and large oscillation amplitude is observed, provided the drive strength exceeds the critical threshold for autoresonance. We demonstrate that when such an oscillator is strongly coupled to a quantized superconducting qubit, both the effective nonlinearity and the threshold become a non-trivial function of the qubit-oscillator detuning. Moreover, the autoresonant threshold is sensitive to the quantum state of the qubit and may be used to realize a high fidelity, latching readout whose speed is not limited by the oscillator Q.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Heralded state preparation in a superconducting qubit

We demonstrate high-fidelity, quantum nondemolition, single-shot readout of a superconducting flux qubit in which the pointer state distributions can be resolved to below one part in 1000. In the weak excitation regime, continuous measurement permits the use of heralding to ensure initialization to a fiducial state, such as the ground state. This procedure boosts readout fidelity to 93.9% by suppressing errors due to spurious thermal population. Furthermore, heralding potentially enables a simple, fast qubit reset protocol without changing the system parameters to induce Purcell relaxation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Quantum feedback control of a superconducting qubit: Persistent Rabi oscillations

The act of measurement bridges the quantum and classical worlds by projecting a superposition of possible states into a single, albeit probabilistic, outcome. The time-scale of this "instantaneous" process can be stretched using weak measurements so that it takes the form of a gradual random walk towards a final state. Remarkably, the interim measurement record is sufficient to continuously track and steer the quantum state using feedback. We monitor the dynamics of a resonantly driven quantum two-level system -- a superconducting quantum bit --using a near-noiseless parametric amplifier. The high-fidelity measurement output is used to actively stabilize the phase of Rabi oscillations, enabling them to persist indefinitely. This new functionality shows promise for fighting decoherence and defines a path for continuous quantum error correction.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Dispersive readout of a flux qubit at the single photon level

A superconducting flux qubit is inductively coupled to a Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometer, capacitively shunted to form a 1.294-GHz resonator. The qubit-state-dependent resonator frequency is weakly probed with a microwave signal and detected with a Microstrip SQUID Amplifier. At a mean resonator occupation $\bar{n}$ = 1.5 photons, the readout visibility is increased by a factor of 4.5 over that using a cryogenic semiconductor amplifier. As $\bar{n}$ is increased from 0.008 to 0.1, no reduction in $T_1$ is observed, potentially enabling continuous monitoring of the qubit state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

1/f noise of Josephson-junction-embedded microwave resonators at single photon energies and millikelvin temperatures

We present measurements of 1/f frequency noise in both linear and Josephson-junction-embedded superconducting aluminum resonators in the low power, low temperature regime - typical operating conditions for superconducting qubits. The addition of the Josephson junction does not result in additional frequency noise, thereby placing an upper limit for fractional critical current fluctuations of $10^{-8}$ (Hz$^{-1/2}$) at 1 Hz for sub-micron, shadow evaporated junctions. These values imply a minimum dephasing time for a superconducting qubit due to critical current noise of 40 -- 1400 $μ$s depending on qubit architecture. Occasionally, at temperatures above 50 mK, we observe the activation of individual fluctuators which increase the level of noise significantly and exhibit Lorentzian spectra.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Single crystal silicon capacitors with low microwave loss in the single photon regime

We have fabricated superconducting microwave resonators in a lumped element geometry using single crystal silicon dielectric parallel plate capacitors with C >2 pF. Aluminum devices with resonant frequencies between 4.0 and 6.5 GHz exhibited an average internal quality factor Q_i of 2 x 10^5 in the single photon excitation regime at T = 20 mK. Attributing all the observed loss to the capacitive element, our measurements correspond to a loss tangent of intrinsic silicon of 5 x 10^-6. This level of loss is an order of magnitude lower than is currently observed in structures incorporating amorphous dielectric materials, thus making single crystal silicon capacitors an attractive, robust route for realizing long-lived quantum circuits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Observation of quantum jumps in a superconducting artificial atom

A continuously monitored quantum system prepared in an excited state will decay to its ground state with an abrupt jump. The jump occurs stochastically on a characteristic time scale T1, the lifetime of the excited state. These quantum jumps, originally envisioned by Bohr, have been observed in trapped atoms and ions, single molecules, photons, and single electrons in cyclotrons. Here we report the first observation of quantum jumps in a macroscopic quantum system, in our case a superconducting "artificial atom" or quantum bit (qubit) coupled to a superconducting microwave cavity. We use a fast, ultralow-noise parametric amplifier to amplify the microwave photons used to probe the qubit state, enabling continuous high-fidelity monitoring of the qubit. This technique represents a major step forward for solid state quantum information processing, potentially enabling quantum error correction and feedback, which are essential for building a quantum computer. Our technology can also be readily integrated into hybrid circuits involving molecular magnets, nitrogen vacancies in diamond, or semiconductor quantum dots.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Nonlinear microwave response of aluminum weak-link Josephson oscillators

We present the driven response at T=30mK of 6 GHz superconducting resonators constructed from capacitively-shunted three dimensional (3D) aluminum nanobridge superconducting quantum interference devices (nanoSQUIDs). We observe flux modulation of the resonant frequency in quantitative agreement with numerical calculation and characteristic of near-ideal short weak link junctions. Under strong microwave excitation, we observe stable bifurcation in devices with coupled quality factor (Q) ranging from ~30-3500. Near this bias point, parametric amplification with > 20dB gain, 40 MHz bandwidth, and near quantum-limited noise performance is observed. Our results indicate that 3D nanobridge junctions are attractive circuit elements to realize quantum bits.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Dispersive magnetometry with a quantum limited SQUID parametric amplifier

There is currently fundamental and technological interest in measuring and manipulating nanoscale magnets, particularly in the quantum coherent regime. To observe the dynamics of such systems one requires a magnetometer with not only exceptional sensitivity but also high gain, wide bandwidth and low backaction. We demonstrate a dispersive magnetometer consisting of a two-junction SQUID in parallel with an integrated, lumped-element capacitor. Input flux signals are encoded as a phase modulation of the microwave drive tone applied to the magnetometer, resulting in a single quadrature voltage signal. For strong drive power, the nonlinearity of the resonator results in quantum limited, phase sensitive parametric amplification of this signal, which improves flux sensitvity at the expense of bandwidth. \ Depending on the drive parameters, the device performance ranges from an effective flux noise of 0.29\textbf{}$μΦ_{0}$Hz$^{-\frac{1}{2}}$ and 20 MHz of signal bandwidth to a noise of 0.14 $μΦ_{0}$Hz$^{-\frac{1}{2}}$ and a bandwidth of 0.6 MHz. These results are in excellent agreement with our theoretical model.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Quantum Fluctuations in the Chirped Pendulum

An anharmonic oscillator when driven with a fast, frequency chirped voltage pulse can oscillate with either small or large amplitude depending on whether the drive voltage is below or above a critical value-a well studied classical phenomenon known as autoresonance. Using a 6 GHz superconducting resonator embedded with a Josephson tunnel junction, we have studied for the first time the role of noise in this non-equilibrium system and find that the width of the threshold for capture into autoresonance decreases as the square root of T, and saturates below 150 mK due to zero point motion of the oscillator. This unique scaling results from the non-equilibrium excitation where fluctuations, both quantum and classical, only determine the initial oscillator motion and not its subsequent dynamics. We have investigated this paradigm in an electrical circuit but our findings are applicable to all out of equilibrium nonlinear oscillators.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Approaching ideal weak link behavior with three dimensional aluminum nanobridges

We present transport measurements of unshunted dc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) consisting of 30 nm wide aluminum nanobridges of varying length L contacted with two and three dimensional banks. 3D nanobridge SQUIDs with L $\leq$ 150 nm (approximately 3-4 times the superconducting coherence length) exhibit $\approx 70%$ critical current modulation with applied magnetic field, approaching the theoretical limit for an ideal short metallic weak link. In contrast, 2D nanobridge SQUIDs exhibit significantly lower critical current modulation. This enhanced nonlinearity makes 3D nanobridge Josephson junctions well suited to optimize sensitivity in weak link SQUID magnetometers as well as realize ultra low-noise amplifiers and qubits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2009

Analog information processing at the quantum limit with a Josephson ring modulator

Amplifiers are crucial in every experiment carrying out a very sensitive measurement. However, they always degrade the information by adding noise. Quantum mechanics puts a limit on how small this degradation can be. Theoretically, the minimum noise energy added by a phase preserving amplifier to the signal it processes amounts at least to half a photon at the signal frequency. In this article, we show that we can build a practical microwave device that fulfills the minimal requirements to reach the quantum limit. This is of importance for the readout of solid state qubits, and more generally, for the measurement of very weak signals in various areas of science. We also discuss how this device can be the basic building block for a variety of practical applications such as amplification, noiseless frequency conversion, dynamic cooling and production of entangled signal pairs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2009

Optimizing Anharmonicity in Nanoscale Weak Link Josephson Junction Oscillators

Josephson tunnel junctions are widely used as nonlinear elements in superconducting circuits such as low noise amplifiers and quantum bits. However, microscopic defects in the oxide tunnel barrier can produce low and high frequency noise which can potentially limit the coherence times and quality factors of resonant circuits. Weak link Josephson junctions are an attractive alternative provided that sufficient nonlinearity can be engineered. We compute the current phase relation for superconducting weak links, with dimensions comparable to the zero temperature coherence length, connected to two and three dimensional superconducting electrodes. Our results indicate that 50-100 nm long aluminum nanobridges connected with three dimensional banks can be used to construct nonlinear oscillators for bifurcation amplification. We also show that under static current bias, these oscillators have a sufficiently anharmonic energy level structure to form a qubit. Such weak link junctions thus present a practical new route for realizing sensitive quantum circuits.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2009

Millikelvin thermal and electrical performance of lossy transmission line filters

We report on the scattering parameters and Johnson noise emission of low-pass stripline filters employing a magnetically loaded silicone dielectric down to 25 mK. The transmission characteristic of a device with $f_{-3dB}$=1.3 GHz remains essentially unchanged upon cooling. Another device with $f_{-3dB}$=0.4 GHz, measured in its stopband, exhibits a steady state noise power emission consistent with a temperature difference of a few mK relative to a well-anchored cryogenic microwave attenuator at temperatures down to 25 mK, thus presenting a matched thermal load.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Phase-locking transition in a chirped superconducting Josephson resonator

By coupling a harmonic oscillator to a quantum system it is possible to perform a dispersive measurement that is quantum non-demolition (QND), with minimal backaction. A non-linear oscillator has the advantage of measurement gain, but what is the backaction? Experiments on superconducting quantum bits (qubits) coupled to a non-linear Josephson oscillator have thus far utilized the switching of the oscillator near a dynamical bifurcation for sensitivity, and have demonstrated partial QND measurement. The detailed backaction associated with the switching process is complex, and may ultimately limit the degree to which such a measurement can be QND. Here we demonstrate a new dynamical effect in Josephson oscillators by which the bifurcation can be accessed without switching. When energized with a frequency chirped drive with an amplitude close to a sharp, phase-locking threshold, the oscillator evolves smoothly in one of two diverging trajectories - a pointer for the state of a qubit. The observed critical behavior agrees well with theory and suggests a new modality for quantum state measurement.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Measuring the Decoherence of a Quantronium Qubit with the Cavity Bifurcation Amplifier

Dispersive readouts for superconducting qubits have the advantage of speed and minimal invasiveness. We have developed such an amplifier, the Cavity Bifurcation Amplifier (CBA) [10], and applied it to the readout of the quantronium qubit [2]. It consists of a Josephson junction embedded in a microwave on-chip resonator. In contrast with the Josephson bifurcation amplifier [17], which has an on-chip capacitor shunting a junction, the resonator is based on a simple coplanar waveguide imposing a pre-determined frequency and whose other RF characteristics like the quality factor are easily controlled and optimized. Under proper microwave irradiation conditions, the CBA has two metastable states. Which state is adopted by the CBA depends on the state of a quantronium qubit coupled to the CBA's junction. Due to the MHz repetition rate and large signal to noise ratio we can show directly that the coherence is limited by 1/f gate charge noise when biased at the sweet spot - a point insensitive to first order gate charge fluctuations. This architecture lends itself to scalable quantum computing using a multi-resonator chip with multiplexed readouts.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2007

Dispersive microwave bifurcation of a superconducting resonator cavity incorporating a Josephson junction

We have observed the dynamical bistability of a microwave superconducting Fabry-Perot cavity incorporating a non-linear element in the form of Josephson tunnel junction. The effect, which is the analog of optical bistability, manifests itself in the transmission and reflection characteristics of the cavity and is governed by a competition between the wave amplitude dependence of the resonant frequency and the finite residence time of the field energy inside the cavity. This finite residence time is solely due to extraction of radiation from the cavity by the measurement process. The tight quantitative agreement with a simple model based on the Duffing oscillator equation shows that the nonlinearity, and hence the bifurcation phenomenon, is solely dispersive.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2006

RF bifurcation of a Josephson junction: microwave embedding circuit requirements

A Josephson tunnel junction which is RF-driven near a dynamical bifurcation point can amplify quantum signals. The bifurcation point will exist robustly only if the electrodynamic environment of the junction meets certain criteria. In this article we develop a general formalism for dealing with the non-linear dynamics of Josephson junction embedded in an arbitrary microwave circuit. We find sufficient conditions for the existence of the bifurcation regime: a) the embedding impedance of the junction need to present a resonance at a particular frequency $ω_{R}$, with the quality factor $Q$ of the resonance and the participation ratio $p$ of the junction satisfying $Qp\gg 1$, b) the drive frequency should be low frequency detuned away from $ω_{R}$ by more than $\sqrt{3}ω_{R}/(2Q)$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗