On-demand directional microwave photon emission using waveguide quantum electrodynamics
Routing quantum information between non-local computational nodes is a foundation for extensible networks of quantum processors. Quantum information transfer between arbitrary nodes is generally mediated either by photons that propagate between them or by resonantly coupling nearby nodes. The utilit...
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Published in | Nature physics Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 394 - 400 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London
Nature Publishing Group
01.03.2023
Nature Publishing Group (NPG) |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Routing quantum information between non-local computational nodes is a foundation for extensible networks of quantum processors. Quantum information transfer between arbitrary nodes is generally mediated either by photons that propagate between them or by resonantly coupling nearby nodes. The utility is determined by the type of emitter, propagation channel and receiver. Conventional approaches involving propagating microwave photons have limited fidelity due to photon loss and are often unidirectional, whereas architectures that use direct resonant coupling are bidirectional in principle but can generally accommodate only a few local nodes. Here we demonstrate high-fidelity, on-demand, directional, microwave photon emission. We do this using an artificial molecule comprising two superconducting qubits strongly coupled to a bidirectional waveguide, effectively creating a chiral microwave waveguide. Quantum interference between the photon emission pathways from the molecule generates single photons that selectively propagate in a chosen direction. This circuit will also be capable of photon absorption, making it suitable for building interconnects within extensible quantum networks.Light could be used to carry quantum information in networks, but this requires methods to prepare and control individual photons. A superconducting circuit can controllably emit photons in either direction along a microwave waveguide. |
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Bibliography: | USDOE Office of Science (SC) SC0012704; W911NF-18-1-0411; FA8702-15-D-0001 US Army Research Office (ARO) USDOD |
ISSN: | 1745-2473 1745-2481 |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41567-022-01869-5 |