arXiv subjects

Sahel Ashhab

Publications and source records attributed to Sahel Ashhab.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Observation of Floquet states in a strongly driven artificial atom

We present experiments on the driven dynamics of a two-level superconducting artificial atom. The driving strength reaches 4.78 GHz, significantly exceeding the transition frequency of 2.288 GHz. The observed dynamics is described in terms of quasienergies and quasienergy states, in agreement with Floquet theory. In addition, we observe the role of pulse shaping in the dynamics, as determined by non-adiabatic transitions between Floquet states, and we implement subnanosecond single-qubit operations. These results pave the way to quantum control using strong driving with applications in quantum technologies.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Hybrid quantum circuits: Superconducting circuits interacting with other quantum systems

Hybrid quantum circuits combine two or more physical systems, with the goal of harnessing the advantages and strengths of the different systems in order to better explore new phenomena and potentially bring about novel quantum technologies. This article presents a brief overview of the progress achieved so far in the field of hybrid circuits involving atoms, spins and solid-state devices (including superconducting and nanomechanical systems). How these circuits combine elements from atomic physics, quantum optics, condensed matter physics, and nanoscience is discussed, and different possible approaches for integrating various systems into a single circuit are presented. In particular, hybrid quantum circuits can be fabricated on a chip, facilitating their future scalability, which is crucial for building future quantum technologies, including quantum detectors, simulators, and computers.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Quantum-criticality-induced strong Kerr nonlinearities in optomechanical systems

We investigate a hybrid electro-optomechanical system that allows us to obtain controllable strong Kerr nonlinearities in the weak-coupling regime. We show that when the controllable electromechanical subsystem is close to its quantum critical point, strong photon-photon interactions can be generated by adjusting the intensity (or frequency) of the microwave driving field. Nonlinear optical phenomena, such as the appearance of the photon blockade and the generation of nonclassical states (e.g., Schrödinger cat states), are predicted in the weak-coupling regime, which is feasible for most current optomechanical experiments.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Entanglement amplification via local weak measurements

We propose a measurement-based method to produce a maximally-entangled state from a partially-entangled pure state. Our goal can be thought of as entanglement distillation from a single copy of a partially-entangled state. The present approach involves local two-outcome weak measurements. We show that application of these local weak measurements leads to a probabilistic amplification of entanglement. In addition, we examine how the probability to find the maximally-entangled state is related to the entanglement of the input state. We also study the application of our method to a mixed initial state. We show that the protocol is successful if the separable part of the mixed initial state fulfils certain conditions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Nonperturbative theory of weak pre- and post-selected measurements

This paper starts with a brief review of the topic of strong and weak pre- and post-selected (PPS) quantum measurements, as well as weak values, and afterwards presents original work. In particular, we develop a nonperturbative theory of weak PPS measurements of an arbitrary system with an arbitrary meter, for arbitrary initial states. New and simple analytical formulas are obtained for the average and the distribution of the meter pointer variable, which hold to all orders in the weak value. In the case of a mixed preselected state, in addition to the standard weak value, an associated weak value is required to describe weak PPS measurements. In the linear regime, the theory provides the generalized Aharonov-Albert-Vaidman formula. Moreover, we reveal two new regimes of weak PPS measurements: the strongly-nonlinear regime and the inverted region, where the system-dependent contribution to the pointer deflection decreases with increasing the measurement strength. The optimal conditions for weak PPS measurements are achieved in the strongly-nonlinear regime, where the magnitude of the average pointer deflection is equal or close to the maximum. This maximum is independent of the measurement strength, being typically of the order of the pointer uncertainty. We show that the amplification in the weak PPS measurements is a product of two qualitatively different quantities: proper amplification and enhancement. The effects of the free system and meter Hamiltonians are discussed. We also identify optimal meters for weak measurements. Exact solutions are obtained for a certain class of the measured observables. These solutions are used for numerical calculations, the results of which agree with the theory. Moreover, the theory is extended to allow for a completely general post-selection measurement. We also discuss time-symmetry properties of PPS measurements of any strength.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Amplitude spectroscopy of two coupled qubits

We study the effect of a time-dependent driving field with a large amplitude on a system composed of two coupled qubits (two-level systems). Using the rotating wave approximation (RWA) makes it possible to find simple conditions for resonant excitation of the four-level system. We find that the resonance conditions include the coupling strength between the qubits. Numerical simulations confirm the qualitative conclusions following from the RWA. To reveal the peculiarities of resonant transitions caused by the quasi-level motion and crossing in a periodic driving field, we use Floquet states, which determine the precise intermediate states of the system. Calculating the quasi-energy states of the multi-level system makes it possible to find the transition probabilities and build interference patterns for the transition probabilities. The interference patterns demonstrate the possibility of obtaining various pieces of information about the qubits, since the positions of transition-probability maxima depend on various system parameters, including the coupling strength between the qubits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Implementing general measurements on linear optical and solid-state qubits

We show a systematic construction for implementing general measurements on a single qubit, including both strong (or projection) and weak measurements. We mainly focus on linear optical qubits. The present approach is composed of simple and feasible elements, i.e., beam splitters, wave plates, and polarizing beam splitters. We show how the parameters characterizing the measurement operators are controlled by the linear optical elements. We also propose a method for the implementation of general measurements in solid-state qubits.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

Natural and artificial atoms for quantum computation

Remarkable progress towards realizing quantum computation has been achieved using natural and artificial atoms as qubits. This article presents a brief overview of the current status of different types of qubits. On the one hand, natural atoms (such as neutral atoms and ions) have long coherence times, and could be stored in large arrays, providing ideal "quantum memories". On the other hand, artificial atoms (such as superconducting circuits or semiconductor quantum dots) have the advantage of custom-designed features and could be used as "quantum processing units". Natural and artificial atoms can be coupled with each other and can also be interfaced with photons for long-distance communications. Hybrid devices made of natural/artificial atoms and photons may provide the next-generation design for quantum computers.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Using Superconducting Qubit Circuits to Engineer Exotic Lattice Systems

We propose an architecture based on superconducting qubits and resonators for the implementation of a variety of exotic lattice systems, such as spin and Hubbard models in higher or fractal dimensions and higher-genus topologies. Spin systems are realized naturally using qubits, while superconducting resonators can be used for the realization of Bose-Hubbard models. Fundamental requirements for these designs, such as controllable interactions between arbitrary qubit pairs, have recently been implemented in the laboratory, rendering our proposals feasible with current technology.

cond-mat.supr-con↗