arXiv subjects

Yasunobu Nakamura

Publications and source records attributed to Yasunobu Nakamura.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Extended High-Mass Axion Search with an Auxetically Tuned Higher-Order-Mode Cavity

Conventional high-mass axion haloscopes based on the TM$_{010}$ mode lose detection volume as the resonant frequency increases. We report an extended axion search using a dielectric-restored TM$_{020}$ cavity haloscope with symmetry-preserving auxetic tuning based on a single-degree-of-freedom mechanical architecture. Using a near-quantum-limited microwave receiver, we searched a frequency range of 4.98-5.07 GHz and exclude axion-photon couplings with sensitivity approaching the KSVZ benchmark. Together with two earlier searches, the present scans extend a multi-scan program based on this architecture, yielding nearly 300 MHz of contiguous high-mass axion coverage over 4.98-5.27 GHz, the first broad search reported with a single higher-order-mode haloscope. This work establishes higher-order-mode cavities as a practical, scalable route beyond the TM$_{010}$ volume penalty.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2026

Search for Axion Dark Matter around \texorpdfstring{$15.6\,μ\text{eV}$}{15.6 microeV} with a Broadly Tunable High-Temperature Superconducting Cavity

We report an axion dark matter search in the mass range of $15.30\text{--}15.85\,μ\text{eV}$ using a broadly tunable high-temperature superconducting (HTS) haloscope. By soldering substrate-stripped rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) films onto a copper shell, we achieved a quality factor 3--4 times higher than in copper cavities across its tuning band in an 8\text{-T} magnetic field. We set robust Frequentist 90\%~confidence-level exclusion limits on the axion--photon coupling down to 1.3 times the KSVZ coupling, while a complementary Bayesian analysis achieves KSVZ-level sensitivity.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2026

Instantaneous-Frame Theory of Strongly Driven Parametric Gates

Parametric two-qubit gates using tunable couplers are a promising approach to scalable superconducting quantum processors. However, conventional theories formulated in the idle eigenbasis break down in the large-amplitude regime required for fast gate operations. Here, we show that parametric gates are more naturally and accurately described as coherent rotations between instantaneous eigenstates rather than idle eigenstates. This approach may appear counterintuitive, since instantaneous eigenbases are usually associated with adiabatic dynamics. However, they also form a natural moving frame for driven dynamics, where the non-Abelian Berry connection governs transitions and provides a compact description of the exchange and effective $ZZ$ couplings. We show that this theory achieves quantitative agreement with exact numerical simulations across representative tunable-coupler architectures, including double-transmon, capacitively shunted double-transmon, and single-transmon couplers. The description remains accurate even in regimes where idle-frame descriptions fail, while substantially reducing the reliance on computationally demanding exact simulations. These results establish an instantaneous-frame theory of parametric gates beyond conventional idle-frame models and provide a new perspective on driven quantum dynamics.

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arXiv2026

Multi-tesla operation of high-temperature superconducting cavities for accelerated axion dark matter searches

Axion haloscopes use radio-frequency cavities immersed in a magnetic field to search for dark-matter axions, which could resolve two central puzzles in fundamental physics: the strong charge-parity problem in quantum chromodynamics and the nature of dark matter. Multi-tesla fields trigger axion-to-photon conversion but induce severe vortex dissipation in standard superconductors, whereas copper cavities are limited by the anomalous skin effect ($Q \lesssim 10^5$). Here, we overcome these barriers by introducing a pole-to-pole 3-dimensional cavity architecture constructed from strain-controlled, mechanically delaminated rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) tapes. By selectively stripping the lossy metallic substrate while utilizing the copper stabilizer as a "conductive backing" we convert the longitudinal assembly gaps into waveguides below cutoff, effectively suppressing cross-seam RF leakage. Employing a two-track strategy, we first unveiled the intrinsic high-field potential of the material with a 5.4 GHz resonant cavity, achieving an unloaded quality-factor ($Q_0$) of $1.4 \times 10^7$ in an 8 T magnetic field, exceeding conventional copper baselines by two orders of magnitude. Second, prioritizing practical haloscope integration, we engineered a tunable, volume-maximized 2.3 GHz pathfinder cavity. Deployed in the Pilot Axion Cavity Experiment at the Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research (CAPP-PACE), this system achieved a 180 mK noise temperature and a 5-fold $Q$ enhancement over copper, cumulatively delivering a $\sim$8.4-fold scan-rate acceleration.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2026

Low-leakage superconducting-qubit measurement with sub-100-ns total duration

Fast, accurate, and low-leakage qubit measurement is a key requirement for quantum error correction. Here, we demonstrate measurement of a superconducting transmon qubit with a total duration of 97(1) ns, defined as the time from the start of the measurement pulse until the measurement-induced error on a subsequent $π$-pulse operation falls below $10^{-4}$. By combining a large state-averaged resonator decay rate of $κ_\mathrm{eff}/2π$ = 30.8 MHz with a dispersive shift close to the optimal SNR-per-photon condition, we achieve an assignment error of 0.17(1)% using a 58-ns measurement pulse, with residual readout photons depleting passively in tens of nanoseconds without an active depletion pulse. Using a repeated-measurement sequence together with a leakage-sensitive measurement, we benchmark the measurement-induced state transitions, finding a per-measurement leakage rate of $2.7(2) \times 10^{-5}$, only twice the background rate and two orders of magnitude below the measurement-induced relaxation rate, which dominates the assignment error. Floquet simulations indicate that the multiphoton resonances present at the operating point are weakly coupled and traversed diabatically, without causing leakage. These results demonstrate that a large resonator decay rate, combined with a dispersive shift close to the optimal SNR-per-photon condition, can enable fast, high-fidelity, low-leakage dispersive readout at small qubit-resonator detuning.

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arXiv2026

Focusing Surface-Acoustic-Wave Resonators on Thin-Film Lithium Niobate with Transverse-Mode Suppression

Surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) resonators are a promising platform for constructing hybrid quantum systems, where confined acoustic waves enable strong interaction with various physical systems. Focusing SAW resonators, reducing mode volume while suppressing diffraction losses, have recently been investigated for application in such hybrid systems. However, the resonator leads to additional transverse-mode resonances, which cause undesired responses. In this work, we develop focusing SAW resonators on a thin-film lithium niobate on sapphire. A film thinner than the SAW wavelength allows a highly confined acoustic-wave mode to be localized on the substrate surface. By using contoured electrodes following a two-dimensional Gaussian beam shape, we make the SAW mode focused to nearly a diffraction-limited and confirm it via optical imaging. Furthermore, by engineering the spatial mode overlap of the interdigital transducer electrodes, we suppress the excitation of higher-order transverse modes.

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arXiv2026

Heralded Leakage Detection with Preserved Computational-State Coherence in a Fixed-Frequency Transmon

Leakage out of the computational subspace is a major error mechanism in superconducting quantum processors. Detecting leakage without disturbing the encoded quantum information can provide a heralded error signal that error-correction decoders exploit. However, standard dispersive readout collapses all qubit eigenstates indiscriminately. Here, we demonstrate heralded leakage detection on a fixed-frequency transmon by applying a Rabi drive on the computational transition during dispersive readout. The drive makes the computational states indistinguishable to the probe on the resonator while leaving the second and higher excited states distinguishable from the computational states. We achieve a leakage-detection fidelity of 97.1(3)% within the 80-ns detection window, with a false-flag rate of 2.3(3)% from the computational subspace. Conditioned on the no-leakage outcome, the post-detection state retains an average fidelity of 92.9(5)% across the six cardinal states for an equal mixture of computational and leakage population. The scheme requires no circuit elements beyond those used for standard dispersive readout, making it applicable to various types of superconducting qubits without hardware modification.

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arXiv2026

QuBE/Qubex: an integrated hardware-software system for superconducting qubit experiments with broadband control

Achieving high-fidelity operation in large-scale superconducting qubit systems requires not only control hardware with broad frequency coverage, low crosstalk, and tight synchronization but also software that coordinates system configuration, experiment execution, and data analysis. Here we present an integrated qubit-control system that combines broadband microwave hardware with a pulse-level software stack for scalable superconducting qubit experiments. The hardware provides broadband microwave coverage, including an instantaneous span of up to 1.6 GHz from a control output, while the software reduces setup and calibration overhead through automated configuration and built-in experiment workflows. We validate the system on a 64-qubit fixed-frequency transmon chip through full-chip frequency identification and representative demonstrations, including multi-unit far-detuned cross-resonance calibration and benchmarking that yields a measured two-qubit gate fidelity of 98.34%, and multilevel readout beyond the computational subspace. By disclosing the hardware architecture and releasing the software stack as open source, this work provides an inspectable hardware-software foundation for scalable superconducting qubit control experiments.

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arXiv2026

Extended Haloscope Search and Exclusion of a Candidate Signal near 1.036 GHz

We report a follow-up axion haloscope search near 1.036 GHz that completes and extends our previous work [Phys. Rev. X 14, 031023 (2024)], in which a portion of the HEMT-based data could not be analyzed due to unrecorded experimental information. While recovering this dataset, we identified an excess near 1.036 GHz that satisfied our candidate-selection criteria, motivating dedicated validation studies, including independent cross-checks and re-examination with the original apparatus. The excess did not persist under these investigations and was not confirmed as an axion dark-matter signal. We subsequently extended the search over a 20-MHz band surrounding the candidate using a quantum-noise-limited amplifier, achieving sensitivity close to the Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnitsky benchmark. In the absence of a confirmed signal, we set improved 90% confidence-level upper limits on the axion-photon coupling over the frequency range 1.026-1.045 GHz. This work highlights the importance of robust candidate-validation strategies as haloscope searches approach discovery-level sensitivity.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2026

Systematic frequency-collision analysis of the cross-resonance gate outside the straddling regime

Frequency crowding remains a major obstacle to scaling fixed-frequency transmon processors. Among the widely used all-microwave two-qubit gates, the cross-resonance (CR) gate is particularly sensitive to qubit-frequency spread because the conventional straddling regime condition constrains assignable qubit frequencies tightly and makes the system susceptible to frequency collisions. Here, we propose and analyze the CR gate outside the straddling regime, which we refer to as the far-detuned regime, and evaluate frequency collisions using a numerical method that remains accurate under high-intensity, smoothly ramped microwave drives. Based on this analysis, we perform systematic parameter sweeps and provide collision-free conditions that define designable frequency regions in which qubit frequencies can be assigned consistently with surrounding qubit frequencies. Furthermore, we formulate frequency allocation as a linear programming optimization on a unit-cell lattice with periodic boundary conditions to obtain an optimal allocation. We demonstrate that far-detuned designs significantly reduce collisions compared with designs in the straddling regime. Monte Carlo yield analysis indicates that 10% collision-free yield for a 1024-qubit square lattice at a 0.1% two-qubit-gate error threshold requires $σ_{\mathrm{f}}/2π\le 6.8~\mathrm{MHz}$. Our findings suggest that this is feasible with an approximately twofold reduction in the state-of-the-art qubit-frequency spread.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Quantum Magic in early FTQC: From Diagonal Clifford Hierarchy No-Go Theorems to Architecture Design Blueprints

We address the circuit-design problem of maximizing quantum magic in early fault-tolerant quantum computing (early FTQC), where logical dynamics natively take the form of alternating Clifford layers and diagonal non-Clifford layers. To render this optimization analytically tractable, we first prove a uniqueness theorem: for operational magic functionals built from Pauli expectation values, the axioms of faithfulness and tensor-product additivity force a Rényi-type dependence on the Pauli-spectrum. Leveraging the closed phase-polynomial description of the diagonal Clifford hierarchy, we derive exact Pauli-spectrum expressions and tight bounds for a shallow-layer model. These bounds expose a zero-magic mechanism and prove that maximal magic strictly requires graph-state preconditioning. Consequently, we establish our first no-go theorem: hierarchy level alone cannot universally order operational magic. Extending our framework to the $N$-layer model motivated by the Space-Time Efficient Analog Rotation (STAR) architecture, we obtain an exact iterative update rule for the Pauli spectrum. This yields a second no-go theorem: no state-independent sequence of operations can guarantee monotonic magic improvement. Together, these theorems demonstrate that algebraic gate structures are fundamentally insufficient to dictate resource generation. To overcome this, we reframe early FTQC gate selection as a state-aware, differentiable optimization over continuous analog parameters. Finally, we identify a severe kinematic expressibility bottleneck in architectures restricted to single-qubit $Z$-rotations and show that introducing nonlinear diagonal phases, such as multi-qubit $Z$-rotation, shatters this bottleneck. This provides a fundamental principle for demonstrating early FTQC, establishing scalable magic generation as a foundational benchmark for evaluating early FTQC architectures.

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arXiv2026

Parametrically Driven iSWAP Gate Using a Capacitively Shunted Double-Transmon Coupler at the Zero-Flux Sweet Spot

A double-transmon coupler (DTC) enables a fast, high-fidelity CZ gate between two highly detuned, fixed-frequency transmon qubits. Moreover, a recently proposed capacitively shunted DTC (CSDTC) realizes a small residual ZZ interaction over a wide flux-bias range around zero flux, eliminating the necessity of static flux biasing while maintaining high CZ-gate fidelity. However, CZ gates with the DTC and CSDTC require baseband flux pulses with large amplitudes, which are vulnerable to pulse distortion and decoherence due to large qubit-coupler hybridization. To address these issues, we experimentally demonstrate a parametrically driven iSWAP gate operated at zero flux bias between highly detuned, fixed-frequency transmon qubits coupled through a CSDTC. Using a simple flux-drive waveform without predistortion, we realize an average gate fidelity of 99.92(2)% at a total gate time of 112 ns. The observed high-fidelity performance is consistent with small qubit-coupler hybridization and small effective ZZ interaction during the gate. Our numerical simulations reproduce the experimentally observed iSWAP interaction rate and effective ZZ interaction, demonstrating the applicability of the theoretical model not only to spectral information but also to time-domain dynamics such as gate operations. These results boost further progress in the research of superconducting quantum computers.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Wave--particle transition and quantum Zeno effect in which-way experiments with a superconducting quantum processor

Wave--particle duality demonstrates the peculiar nature of quantum mechanics. In which-way experiments, depending on the measurement scheme, a particle exhibits either wave-like or particle-like properties, as summarized by Bohr's principle of complementarity. In this work, we implement Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometry on a two-dimensional (2D) superconducting quantum processor. With precise control of the which-way measurement strength, we demonstrate the transition of a photon from wave-like to particle-like behavior. Furthermore, by performing quantum state tomography on two qubits located in the two paths, we demonstrate that which-way measurements break the entanglement and coherence between the two paths and cause information leakage from the quantum system to the environment. To capture this behavior quantitatively, we derive complementarity relations between the entropy and the fringe visibility. By applying a continuous which-way measurement during the evolution, we also observe the quantum Zeno effect that partially obstructs the interferometer path, giving rise to nonmonotonic behavior of purity and von Neumann entropy. Our experiments provide a detailed characterization of the full interferometer dynamics, reveal the relation between wave--particle duality and quantum information, and demonstrate the potential of superconducting quantum processors for testing quantum foundations under high precision and controllability.

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arXiv2026

High-gain and large-bandwidth Josephson parametric amplifier influenced by Fabry-Pérot interference

Quantum-limited parametric amplifiers are essential components for many quantum technologies operating in the microwave domain. Achieving both high gain and broad bandwidth, however, remains challenging due to trade-offs between gain and bandwidth, pump efficiency, and dynamic range. Moreover, high-gain broadband amplifiers become increasingly sensitive to their external electromagnetic environment, which can distort their gain spectra and hinder reliable operation. Here, we present an accurate theoretical model and a systematic design methodology for a flux-driven, lumped-element Josephson parametric amplifier based on a SQUID array. Our device achieves near-quantum-limited, phase-preserving amplification with a net gain of 20 (maximally 44) dB and a 3-dB bandwidth of $\sim$50 ($\lesssim$0.2) MHz. We further show that the gain spectra exhibit pronounced sensitivity to weak reflections in the input-output waveguide caused by impedance mismatches in the microwave environment. By incorporating Fabry-Pérot-type interference into a quantum input-output model, we analytically reproduce these complex spectral features and identify how they depend on the physical parameters of the environment. More generally, our results provide a practical framework for separating the intrinsic dynamics of parametric amplifiers from environmental effects. This approach enables reliable characterization and optimization of amplifier performance while providing a systematic strategy for diagnosing microwave reflections and engineering environmental interference to shape amplifier gain spectra, thereby offering a pathway toward robust, reproducible, and truly quantum-limited microwave amplification.

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arXiv2026

Deterministic Quantum Communication Between Fixed-Frequency Superconducting Qubits via Broadband Resonators

Quantum communication between remote chips is essential for realizing large-scale superconducting quantum computers. For such communication, itinerant microwave photons propagating through transmission lines offer a promising approach. However, demonstrations to date have relied on frequency-tunable circuit elements to compensate for fabrication-related parameter variations between sender and receiver devices, introducing control complexity and limiting scalability. In this work, we demonstrate deterministic quantum state transfer and remote entanglement generation between fixed-frequency superconducting qubits on separate chips. To compensate for the sender-receiver mismatch, we employ a frequency-tunable photon-generation technique which enables us to adjust the photon frequency without modifying circuit parameters. To enhance the frequency tunability, we implement broadband transfer resonators composed of two coupled coplanar-waveguide resonators, achieving a bandwidth of more than 100 MHz. This broadband design enables successful quantum communication across a 30-MHz range of photon frequencies between the remote qubits. Quantum process tomography reveals state transfer fidelities of around 79% and Bell-state fidelities of around 73% across the full frequency range. Our approach avoids the complexity of the control lines and noise channels, providing a flexible pathway toward scalable quantum networks.

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arXiv2026

Temporal-Mode Engineering for Multiplexed Microwave Photons and Mode-Selective Quantum State Transfer

Quantum communication between distant superconducting qubits on separate chips using itinerant microwave photons has been studied to realize distributed quantum information processing. To enhance information capacity and fault tolerance in quantum networks, it is beneficial to encode a large quantity of quantum information using auxiliary degrees of freedom of these photons. In this work, we experimentally investigate the use of temporal modes of photon wave packets. Through the photon-shaping technique with a fixed-frequency transmon qubit, we generate single microwave photons in four orthogonal temporal modes propagating along a waveguide. We demonstrate mode-selective absorption across orthogonal modes via the time-reversed process of emission, achieving absorption efficiencies exceeding 0.89 for mode-matched cases, while remaining below 0.13 for orthogonal modes. Photons rejected by a given receiver mode can remain mutually orthogonal, enabling selective absorption at subsequent receivers in future multi-node architectures. These results highlight the feasibility of temporal-mode engineering for constructing a higher-dimensional orthogonal basis for multiplexed quantum networks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Generation of frequency-bin-encoded dual-rail cluster states via time-frequency multiplexing of microwave photonic qubits

Cluster states are a class of multi-qubit entangled states with broad applications such as quantum metrology and one-way quantum computing. Here, we present a protocol to generate frequency-bin-encoded dual-rail cluster states using a superconducting circuit consisting of a fixed-frequency transmon qubit, a resonator and a Purcell filter. We implement time-frequency multiplexing by sequentially emitting co-propagating microwave photons of distinct frequencies. The frequency-bin dual-rail encoding enables erasure detection based on photon occupancy. We characterize the state fidelity using quantum tomography and quantify the multipartite entanglement using the metric of localizable entanglement. Our implementation achieves a state fidelity exceeding 50$\%$ for a cluster state consisting of up to four logical qubits. The localizable entanglement remains across chains of up to seven logical qubits. After discarding the erasure errors, the fidelity exceeds 50% for states with up to eight logical qubits, and the entanglement persists across chains of up to eleven qubits. These results highlight the improved robustness of frequency-bin dual-rail encoding against photon loss compared to conventional single-rail schemes. This work provides a scalable pathway toward high-dimensional entangled state generation and photonic quantum information processing in the microwave domain.

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arXiv2026

Efficient tomography of microwave photonic cluster states

Entanglement among a large number of qubits is a crucial resource for many quantum algorithms. Such many-body states have been efficiently generated by entangling a chain of itinerant photonic qubits in the optical or microwave domain. However, it has remained challenging to fully characterize the generated many-body states by experimentally reconstructing their exponentially large density matrices. Here, we develop an efficient tomography method based on the matrix-product-operator formalism and demonstrate it on a cluster state of up to 35 microwave photonic qubits by reconstructing its $2^{35} \times 2^{35}$ density matrix. The full characterization enables us to detect the performance degradation of our photon source which occurs only when generating a large cluster state. This tomography method is generally applicable to various physical realizations of entangled qubits and provides an efficient benchmarking method for guiding the development of high-fidelity sources of entangled photons.

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