Encoding quantum information in 100-photon Schrödinger cat states

Speaker: 
Brian Vlastakis Department of Applied Physics, Yale University
Seminar Date: 
Friday, December 6, 2013 - 12:00pm
Location: 
BECTON SEMINAR ROOM See map
Prospect Street
New Haven, CT

In many implementations, the superposition of a two-level system, or qubit, has been the basic element towards realizing a quantum computer. Alternatively, we explore encoding quantum information in a superposition of coherent states. Unlike two-level systems, coherent states mimic the classical, macroscopic behavior of an oscillator. These coherent state superpositions are known as cat states due to their resemblance to the thought experiment by Schrödinger which illustrates the counterintuitive nature of the superposition principle when applied to everyday, macroscopic objects. Here, we map an arbitrary state of a superconducting transmon qubit to a cat state in a cavity resonator. We create cat states as large as 111 photons and extend this protocol to create superpositions of up to four coherent states. These superposition states could have a wide array of applications which include redundant encoding for quantum error correction as well as increased phase sensitivity for precision quantum measurement.

Host: 
Paul Fleury
Seminar Announcement Brochure: 

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