At first, we generally investigate the short-time decoherence of a qubit nonlinearly coupling with a bath. The measure of the decoherence is chosen as the maximum norm of the deviation density operator. Then we concretely investigate the Josephson charge qubit (JCQ) model. It is shown that at the temperature T=30mK, the loss of fidelity (due to decoherence) of the JCQ is bigger than the DiVincenzo low decoherence criterion. The decoherence will decrease with the decrease of the experimental temperature. When the temperature decreases to T=0.3mK the DiVincenzo low decoherence criterion can be satisfied.
In this paper we investigate the short-time decoherence of single Josephson charge qubit (JCQ). The measure of decoherence is chosen as the maximum norm of the deviation density operator. It is shown that when the temperature low enough (for example T=30mK), within the elementary gate-operation time tau{g}~12.7ps, the decoherence is smaller than 0.0001 at present setup of JCQ. The Josephson charge qubit is suitable to take the blocks for quantum computations according to the DiVincenzo low decoherence criterion.
In this paper we investigate decoherence time of superconducting Josephson charge qubit (JCQ). Two kinds of methods, iterative tensor multiplication (ITM) method derived from the qusiadiabatic propagator path integral (QUAPI) and Bloch equations method are used. Using the non-Markovian ITM method we correct the decoherence time predicted by Bloch equations method. By comparing the exact theoretical result with the experimental data we suggest that the Ohmic noise plays the central role to the decoherence of the JCQ.
In this paper we investigate the short-time decoherence from Ohmic and 1/f noise of single Josephson charge qubit (JCQ). At first, we use the short-time approximation to obtain the dynamics of the open JCQ. Then we calculate the decoherence the measure of which is chosen as the maximum norm of the deviation density operator. It is shown that the decoherence from 1/f noise plays the central role. The total decoherence from Ohmic and 1/f noise is serious at present experiential conditions according to the DiVincenzo criterion.
The zero-voltage state of a Josephson junction biased with constant current consists of a set of metastable quantum energy levels. We probe the spacings of these levels by using microwave spectroscopy to enhance the escape rate to the voltage state. The widths of the resonances give a measurement of the coherence time of the two states involved in the transitions. We observe a decoherence time shorter than that expected from dissipation alone in resonantly isolated 20 um x 5 um Al/AlOx/Al junctions at 60 mK. The data is well fit by a model including dephasing effects of both low-frequency curr…
We study decoherence due to random telegraph and 1/f noise in Josephson qubits. We illustrate differences between gaussian and non gaussian effects at different working points and for different protocols. Features of the intrinsically non-gaussian and non-Markovian low-frequency noise may explain the rich physics observed in the spectroscopy and the dynamics of charge based devices.
We examine the role of interactions for a Bose gas trapped in a double-well potential ("Bose-Josephson junction") when external noise is applied and the system is initially delocalized with equal probability amplitudes in both sites. The noise may have two kinds of effects: loss of atoms from the trap, and random shifts in the relative phase or number difference between the two wells. The effects of phase noise are mitigated by atom-atom interactions and tunneling, such that the dephasing rate may be reduced to half its single-atom value. Decoherence due to number noise (which induces fluctuat…
We study how macroscopic superpositions of coherent states produced by the nondissipative dynamics of binary mixtures of ultracold atoms are affected by atom losses. We identify different decoherence scenarios for symmetric or asymmetric loss rates and interaction energies in the two modes. In the symmetric case the quantum coherence in the superposition is lost after a single loss event. By tuning appropriately the energies we show that the superposition can be protected, leading to quantum correlations useful for atom interferometry even after many loss events.
Squeezed states and macroscopic superpositions of coherent states have been predicted to be generated dynamically in Bose Josephson junctions. We solve exactly the quantum dynamics of such a junction in the presence of a classical noise coupled to the population-imbalance number operator (phase noise), accounting for, for example, the experimentally relevant fluctuations of the magnetic field. We calculate the correction to the decay of the visibility induced by the noise in the non-Markovian regime. Furthermore, we predict that such a noise induces an anomalous rate of decoherence among the c…
We present a quantum computing scheme with atomic Josephson junction arrays. The system consists of a small number of atoms with three internal states and trapped in a far-off resonant optical lattice. Raman lasers provide the "Josephson" tunneling, and the collision interaction between atoms represent the "capacitive" couplings between the modes. The qubit states are collective states of the atoms with opposite persistent currents. This system is closely analogous to the superconducting flux qubit. Single qubit quantum logic gates are performed by modulating the Raman couplings, while two-qub…
A complete analysis of the decoherence properties of a Josephson junction qubit is presented. The qubit is of the flux type and consists of two large loops forming a gradiometer and one small loop, and three Josephson junctions. The contributions to relaxation (T_1) and dephasing (T_ϕ) arising from two different control circuits, one coupled to the small loop and one coupled to a large loop, is computed. We use a complete, quantitative description of the inductances and capacitances of the circuit. Including two stray capacitances makes the quantum mechanical modeling of the system five dimens…
We discuss the origin of decoherence in Josephson junction qubits. We find that two level systems in the surrounding insulator cannot be the dominant source of noise in small qubits. We argue that electron traps in the Josephson barrier with large Coulomb repulsion would give noise that agrees both in magnitude and in temperature dependence with experimental data.
The intention of this work is twofold, first to present a most simple system capable of simulating the intrinsic bosonic Josephson effect with photons, and second to study various outcomes deriving from inherent or external decoherence. A qubit induces an effective coupling between two externally pumped cavity modes. Without cavity losses and in the dispersive regime, intrinsic Josephson oscillations of photons between the two modes occurs. In this case, contrary to regular Markovian decoherence, the qubit purity shows a Gaussian decay and recurrence of its coherence. Due to intrinsic non-line…
We introduce a method for finding the required control parameters for a quantum computer that yields the desired quantum algorithm without invoking elementary gates. We concentrate on the Josephson charge-qubit model, but the scenario is readily extended to other physical realizations. Our strategy is to numerically find any desired double- or triple-qubit gate. The motivation is the need to significantly accelerate quantum algorithms in order to fight decoherence.
A scheme for the generation of the cluster states based on the Josephson charge qubit is proposed. The two-qubit generating case is first introduced, and then generalized to multi-qubit case. The scheme is simple and easily manipulated, because any two charge qubits can be selectively and effectively coupled by a common inductance. More manipulations can be realized before decoherence sets in. All the devices in the scheme are well within the current technology.
In this paper we calculate the loss of fidelity due to quantum leakage for the Josephson charge qubit (JCQ) in virtue of the Mathieu functions. It is shown that for an present typical parameters of JCQ E_{J}/E_{ch}~0.02, the loss of the fidelity per elementary operation is about 10^(-4) which satisfy the DiVincenzo's low decoherence criterion. By appropriately improving the design of the Josephson junction, namely, decreasing E_{J}/E_{ch} to 0.01, the loss of fidelity per elementary operation can decrease to 10^(-6) even smaller.
Two-level system fluctuators (TLS's) in the tunnel barrier of a Josephson junction have recently been demonstrated to cause novel energy splittings in spectroscopic measurements of superconducting phase qubits. With their strong coupling to the Josephson junction and relatively long decoherence times, TLS's can be considered as potential qubits and demonstrate coherent quantum effects. Here, we study the effective interaction between the TLS qubits that is mediated by a Josephson junction resonator driven by an external microwave source. This effective interaction can enable controlled quantum…
A high degree of quantum coherence is a crucial requirement for the implementation of quantum logic devices. Solid state nanodevices seem particularly promising from the point of view of integrability and flexibility in the design. However decoherence is a serious limitation, due to the presence of many types low energy excitations in the ``internal'' environment and of ``external'' sources due to the control circuitery. Here we study both kind of dephasing in a special implementation, the charge Josephson qubit, however many of our results are applicable to a large class of solid state qubits…
In the viewpoint of quasi normal modes, we describe a novel decoherence mechanism of charge qubit of Josephson Junctions (JJ) in a lossy micro-cavity, which can appear in the realistic experiment for quantum computation based on JJ qubit. We show that the nonlinear coupling of a charge qubit to quantum cavity field can result in an additional dissipation of resonant mode due to its effective interaction between those non-resonant modes and a resonant mode, which is induced by the charge qubit itself. We calculate the characterized time of the novel decoherence by making use of the system plus …
We discuss the relaxation and dephasing rates that result from the control and the measurement setup itself in experiments on Josephson persistent-current qubits. For control and measurement of the qubit state, the qubit is inductively coupled to electromagnetic circuitry. We show how this system can be mapped on the spin-boson model, and how the spectral density of the bosonic bath can be derived from the electromagnetic impedance that is coupled to the qubit. Part of the electromagnetic environment is a measurement apparatus (DC-SQUID), that is permanently coupled to the single quantum syste…
We investigate the physical implementation of Shor's factorization algorithm on a Josephson charge qubit register. While we pursue a universal method to factor a composite integer of any size, the scheme is demonstrated for the number 21. We consider both the physical and algorithmic requirements for an optimal implementation when only a small number of qubits is available. These aspects of quantum computation are usually the topics of separate research communities; we present a unifying discussion of both of these fundamental features bridging Shor's algorithm to its physical realization usin…
In the field of cavity optomechanics, proposals for quantum nondemolition (QND) measurements of phonon number provide a promising avenue by which one can study the quantum nature of nanoscale mechanical resonators. Here, we investigate these QND measurements for an optomechanical system whereby quadratic coupling arises due to shared symmetries between a single optical resonance and a mechanical mode. We establish a relaxed limit on the amount of linear coupling that can exist in this type of system while still allowing for a QND measurement of Fock states. This new condition enables optomecha…
We present the design and characterization of a three-Josephson-junction superconducting loop circuit with three large shunt capacitors. Used as a qubit, the circuit shows long energy-relaxation times, of the order of 40 ${ \unicode[Times]{x3BC}}$s and a spin-echo dephasing time of 9.4 ${ \unicode[Times]{x3BC}}$s. The circuit has high anharmonicity, of 2$π$$\times$3.69 GHz. We extract the multilevel relaxation and dephasing rates of the circuit used as a qutrit and discuss the possible sources for the decoherence. The high anharmonicity allows for fast qubit control with nanosecond-range gate …
Tunneling defects in disordered materials form spurious two-level systems which are a major source of decoherence for micro-fabricated quantum devices. For superconducting qubits, defects in tunnel barriers of submicrometer-sized Josephson junctions couple strongest to the qubit, which necessitates optimization of the junction fabrication to mitigate defect formation. Here, we investigate whether defects appear predominantly at the edges or deep within the amorphous tunnel barrier of a junction. For this, we compare defect densities in differently shaped Al/AlO$_x$/Al Josephson junctions that …
We propose a scheme for simulating 3+1, 2+1, 1+1 Dirac equation for a free spin-1/2 particle with superconducting josephson circuits consisting of five qubits, four qubits, two qubits respectively. In 3+1D and 2+1D, the flux qubit1 driven by a resonant pulse is in the superposition state of its own two eigenstatesis, and it is used as a bus to induce the (blue)red-sideband excitation consisting of a magnetic pulse acting resonantly on two levels of the flux qubit2 and the energy levels of one phase qubit, which yields two (Anti)Jaynes-Cummings interactions with one driving pulse and reduces th…
The high-Q harmonic oscillator mode of a Josephson junction can be used as a novel probe of spurious two-level systems (TLSs) inside the amorphous oxide tunnel barriers of the junction. In particular, we show that spectroscopic transmission measurements of the junction resonator mode can reveal how the coupling magnitude between the junction and the TLSs varies with an external magnetic field applied in the plane of the tunnel barrier. The proposed experiments offer the possibility of clearly resolving the underlying coupling mechanism for these spurious TLSs, an important decoherence source l…
We revisit the protocols to create maximally entangled states between two Josephson junction (JJ) charge phase qubits coupled to a microwave field in a cavity as a quantum data bus. We devote to analyze a novel mechanism of quantum decoherence due to the adiabatic entanglement between qubits and the data bus, the off-resonance microwave field. We show that even through the variable of the data bus can be adiabatically eliminated, the entanglement between the qubits and data bus remains and can decoher the superposition of two-particle state. Fortunately we can construct a decoherence-free subs…
We have studied decoherence in a system where two Josephson-junction flux qubits share a part of their superconducting loops and are inductively coupled. By tuning the flux bias condition, we control the sensitivities of the energy levels to flux noises in each qubit. The dephasing rate of the first excited state is enhanced or suppressed depending on the amplitudes and the signs of the sensitivities. We have quantified the $1/f$ flux noises and their correlations and found that the dominant contribution is by local fluctuations.
We report the observation of quantum jumps between macroscopic quantum states in a superconducting phase qubit coupled to the two-level systems in the Josephson tunnel junction, and all key features of quantum jumps are confirmed in the experiments. Moreover, quantum jumps can be used to calibrate such two-level systems, which are believed to be one of the main decoherence sources in Josephson devices.
We discuss how to make use of high-Tc d-wave Josephson junctions in the construction of a phase qubit. We especially focus on the effect of the quasiparticle dissipation and the zero energy bound state on the macroscopic quantum tunneling which corresponds to the final measurement process of the d-wave phase qubit.
We theoretically analyze the entanglement generation and dynamics by coupled Josephson junction qubits. Considering a current-biased Josephson junction (CBJJ), we generate maximally entangled states. In particular, the entanglement dynamics is considered as a function of the decoherence parameters, such as the temperature, the ratio $r\equivω_c/ω_0$ between the reservoir cutoff frequency $ω_c$ and the system oscillator frequency $ω_0$, % between $ω_0$ the characteristic frequency of the %quantum system of interest, and $ω_c$ the cut-off frequency of %Ohmic reservoir and the energy levels split…
We propose a scheme for implementing cross Kerr nonlinearity between two superconducting transmission line resonators (TLR) via their interaction with a coupler which is constructed by two superconducting charge qubits connected to each other via a superconducting quantum interference device. When suitably driven, the coupler can induce very strong cross phase modulation (XPM) between the two TLRs due to its N-type level structure and the consequent electromagnetically induced transparency in its lowest states. The flexibility of our design can lead to various inter-TLR coupling configurations…
We propose and analyze a scheme for the generation of multipartite entangled states in a system of inductively coupled Josephson flux qubits. The qubits have fixed eigenfrequencies during the whole process in order to minimize decoherence effects and their inductive coupling can be turned on and off at will by tuning an external control flux. Within this framework, we will show that a W state in a system of three or more qubits can be generated by exploiting the sequential one by one coupling of the qubits with one of them playing the role of an entanglement mediator.
We discuss quantum evolution of a decaying state in relation to a recent experiment of Katz et al. Based on exact analytical and numerical solutions of a simple model, we identify a regime where qubit retains coherence over a finite time interval independently of the rates of three competing decoherence processes. In this regime, the quantum decay process can be continuously monitored via a ``weak'' measurement without affecting the qubit coherence.
We analyze an entangling protocol to generate tripartite Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states in a system consisting of three superconducting qubits with pairwise coupling. The dynamics of the open quantum system is investigated by taking into account the interaction of each qubit with an independent bosonic bath with an ohmic spectral structure. To this end a microscopic master equation is constructed and exactly solved. We find that the protocol here discussed is stable against decoherence and dissipation due to the presence of the external baths.
In a two-mode Bose Josephson junction the dynamics induced by a sudden quench of the tunnel amplitude leads to the periodic formation of entangled states. For instance, squeezed states are formed at short times and macroscopic superpositions of phase states at later times. The two modes of the junction can be viewed as the two arms of an interferometer; use of entangled states allows to perform atom interferometry beyond the classical limit. Decoherence due to the presence of noise degrades the quantum correlations between the atoms, thus reducing phase sensitivity of the interferometer. We co…
The two-level systems (TLSs) naturally occurring in Josephson junctions constitute a major obstacle for the operation of superconducting phase qubits. Since these TLSs can possess remarkably long decoherence times, we show that such TLSs can themselves be used as qubits, allowing for a well controlled initialization, universal sets of quantum gates, and readout. Thus, a single current-biased Josephson junction (CBJJ) can be considered as a multiqubit register. It can be coupled to other CBJJs to allow the application of quantum gates to an arbitrary pair of qubits in the system. Our results in…
We study a quantum computing system using microwave photons in transmission line resonators on a superconducting chip as qubits. We show that all control necessary for quantum computing can be implemented by coupling to Josephson devices on the same chip, and take advantage of their strong inherent nonlinearities to realize qubit interactions. We analyze the gate error rate to demonstrate that our scheme is realistic even for Josephson devices with limited decoherence times. A conceptually innovative solution based on existing technologies, our scheme provides an integrated and scalable approa…
We have investigated decoherence in Josephson-junction flux qubits. Based on the measurements of decoherence at various bias conditions, we discriminate contributions of different noise sources. In particular, we present a Gaussian decay function of the echo signal as evidence of dephasing due to $1/f$ flux noise whose spectral density is evaluated to be about $(10^{-6} Φ_0)^2$/Hz at 1 Hz. We also demonstrate that at an optimal bias condition where the noise sources are well decoupled the coherence observed in the echo measurement is mainly limited by energy relaxation of the qubit.
For the Josephson junction charge qubits with macroscopically quantum natures, we propose a theoretical scheme to observe the loss of quantum coherence through coupling such qubit system to an engineered reservoir, the harmonic oscillator mode in the LC circuit formed by the inductor and the separated capacitors. Similar to the usual cavity QED system in form, this charge qubit system with engineered couplings shows the quantum jumps (C.P.Sun et al Fortschr. Phys. \textbf{43}, 585 (1995))in a progressive decoherence process. Corresponding to two components of superposition of two charge states…
A flux qubit can have a relatively long decoherence time at the degeneracy point, but away from this point the decoherence time is greatly reduced by dephasing. This limits the practical applications of flux qubits. Here we propose a new qubit design modified from the commonly used flux qubit by introducing an additional capacitor shunted in parallel to the smaller Josephson junction (JJ) in the loop. Our results show that the effects of noise can be considerably suppressed, particularly away from the degeneracy point, by both reducing the coupling energy of the JJ and increasing the shunt cap…
We propose an effective scheme for manipulating quantum information stored in a superconducting nanocircuit. The Josephson qubits are coupled via their separate interactions with an information bus, a large current-biased Josephson junction treated as an oscillator with adjustable frequency. The bus is sequentially coupled to only one qubit at a time. Distant Josephson qubits without any direct interaction can be indirectly coupled with each other by independently interacting with the bus sequentially, via exciting/de-exciting vibrational quanta in the bus. This is a superconducting analog of …
Symmetry considerations are key towards our understanding of the fundamental laws of Nature. The presence of a symmetry implies that a physical system is invariant under specific transformations and this invariance may have deep consequences. For instance, symmetry arguments state that a system will remain in its initial state if incentives to actions are equally balanced. Here, we apply this principle to a chain of qubits and show that it is possible to engineer the symmetries of its Hamiltonian in order to keep quantum information intrinsically protected from both relaxation and decoherence.…
The transmon superconducting qubit is being intensely investigated as a promising approach for the physical implementation of quantum information processing, and high quality factors of order $10^6$ have been achieved both in two- and three-dimensional architectures. These high quality factors enable detailed investigations of decoherence mechanisms. An intrinsic decoherence process originates from the coupling between the qubit degree of freedom and the quasiparticles that tunnel across Josephson junctions. In a transmon, tunneling of a single quasiparticle is associated with a change in pari…
We report on long-term measurements of a highly coherent, non-tunable superconducting transmon qubit, revealing low-frequency burst noise in coherence times and qubit transition frequency. We achieve this through a simultaneous measurement of the qubit's relaxation and dephasing rate as well as its resonance frequency. The analysis of correlations between these parameters yields information about the microscopic origin of the intrinsic decoherence mechanisms in Josephson qubits. Our results are consistent with a small number of microscopic two-level systems located at the edges of the supercon…
Anyons occur in two-dimensional electron systems as excitations with fractional charge in the topologically ordered states of the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect (FQHE). Their dynamics are of utmost importance for topological quantum phases and possible decoherence free quantum information approaches, but observing these dynamics experimentally is challenging. Here we report on a dynamical property of anyons: the long predicted Josephson relation fJ=e*V/h for charges e*=e/3 and e/5, where e is the charge of the electron and h is Planck's constant. The relation manifests itself as marked signatu…
Based on a network graph analysis of the underlying circuit, a quantum theory of arbitrary superconducting charge qubits is derived. Describing the dissipative elements of the circuit with a Caldeira-Leggett model, we calculate the decoherence and leakage rates of a charge qubit. The analysis includes decoherence due to a dissipative circuit element such as a voltage source or the quasiparticle resistances of the Josephson junctions in the circuit. The theory presented here is dual to the quantum circuit theory for superconducting flux qubits. In contrast to spin-boson models, the full Hilbert…
Quantum logic gates must perform properly when operating on their standard input basis states, as well as when operating on complex superpositions of these states. Experiments using superconducting qubits have validated the truth table for particular implementations of e.g. the controlled-NOT gate [1,2], but have not fully characterized gate operation for arbitrary superpositions of input states. Here we demonstrate the use of quantum process tomography (QPT) [3,4] to fully characterize the performance of a universal entangling gate between two superconducting quantum bits. Process tomography …
Superconducting quantum circuits based on Josephson junctions have made rapid progress in demonstrating quantum behavior and scalability. However, the future prospects ultimately depend upon the intrinsic coherence of Josephson junctions, and whether superconducting qubits can be adequately isolated from their environment. We introduce a new architecture for superconducting quantum circuits employing a three dimensional resonator that suppresses qubit decoherence while maintaining sufficient coupling to the control signal. With the new architecture, we demonstrate that Josephson junction qubit…
Great interest revolves around the development of new strategies to efficiently store and manipulate quantum information in a robust and decoherence-free fashion. Several proposals have been put forward to encode information into qubits that are simultaneously insensitive to relaxation and to dephasing processes. Among all, given their versatility and high degree of control, superconducting qubits have been largely investigated in this direction. Here, we present a survey on the basic concepts and ideas behind the implementation of novel superconducting circuits with intrinsic protection again…
In superconducting qubits, the interaction of the qubit degree of freedom with quasiparticles defines a fundamental limitation for the qubit coherence. We develop a theory of the pure dephasing rate Γ_ϕ caused by quasiparticles tunneling through a Josephson junction and of the inhomogeneous broadening due to changes in the occupations of Andreev states in the junction. To estimate Γ_ϕ, we derive a master equation for the qubit dynamics. The tunneling rate of free quasiparticles is enhanced by their large density of states at energies close to the superconducting gap. Nevertheless, we find that…
Short ballistic graphene Josephson junctions sustain superconducting current with a non-sinusoidal current-phase relation up to a critical current threshold. The current-phase relation, arising from proximitized superconductivity, is gate-voltage tunable and exhibits peculiar skewness observed in high quality graphene superconductors heterostructures with clean interfaces. These properties make graphene Josephson junctions promising sensitive quantum probes of microscopic fluctuations underlying transport in two-dimensions. We show that the power spectrum of the critical current fluctuations h…
Recently a one-dimensional closed ladder of Josephson junctions has been studied (G. Cristofano et al., Phys. Lett. A 372 (2008) 2464) within a twisted conformal field theory (CFT) approach (G. Cristofano et al., Mod. Phys. Lett. A 15 (2000) 1679; Nucl. Phys. B 641 (2002) 547) and shown to develop the phenomenon of flux fractionalization (G. Cristofano et al., Eur. Phys. J. B 49 (2006) 83). That led us to predict the emergence of a topological order in such a system (G. Cristofano et al., JSTAT (2005) P03006). In this letter we analyze the ground states and the topological properties of fully …
