Resolving photon number states in a superconducting circuit

Electromagnetic signals are always composed of photons, although in the circuit domain those signals are carried as voltages and currents on wires, and the discreteness of the photon's energy is usually not evident. However, by coupling a superconducting quantum bit (qubit) to signals on a microwave transmission line, it is possible to construct an integrated circuit in which the presence or absence of even a single photon can have a dramatic effect. Such a system can be described by circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED)-the circuit equivalent of cavity QED, where photons interact with atoms or quantum dots. Previously, circuit QED devices were shown to reach the resonant strong coupling regime, where a single qubit could absorb and re-emit a single photon many times. Here we report a circuit QED experiment in the strong dispersive limit, a new regime where a single photon has a large effect on the qubit without ever being absorbed. The hallmark of this strong dispersive regime is that the qubit transition energy can be resolved into a separate spectral line for each photon number state of the microwave field. The strength of each line is a measure of the probability of finding the corresponding photon number in the cavity. This effect is used to distinguish between coherent and thermal fields, and could be used to create a photon statistics analyser. As no photons are absorbed by this process, it should be possible to generate non-classical states of light by measurement and perform qubit-photon conditional logic, the basis of a logic bus for a quantum computer.     

Hybridization of electronic states in quantum dots through photon emission

The self-assembly of semiconductor quantum dots has opened up new opportunities in photonics. Quantum dots are usually described as 'artificial atoms', because electron and hole confinement gives rise to discrete energy levels. This picture can be justified from the shell structure observed as a quantum dot is filled either with excitons (bound electron-hole pairs) or with electrons. The discrete energy levels have been most spectacularly exploited in single photon sources that use a single quantum dot as emitter. At low temperatures, the artificial atom picture is strengthened by the long coherence times of excitons in quantum dots, motivating the application of quantum dots in quantum optics and quantum information processing. In this context, excitons in quantum dots have already been manipulated coherently. We show here that quantum dots can also possess electronic states that go far beyond the artificial atom model. These states are a coherent hybridization of localized quantum dot states and extended continuum states: they have no analogue in atomic physics. The states are generated by the emission of a photon from a quantum dot. We show how a new version of the Anderson model that describes interactions between localized and extended states can account for the observed hybridization.     

Progressive field-state collapse and quantum non-demolition photon counting

The irreversible evolution of a microscopic system under measurement is a central feature of quantum theory. From an initial state generally exhibiting quantum uncertainty in the measured observable, the system is projected into a state in which this observable becomes precisely known. Its value is random, with a probability determined by the initial system's state. The evolution induced by measurement (known as 'state collapse') can be progressive, accumulating the effects of elementary state changes. Here we report the observation of such a step-by-step collapse by non-destructively measuring the photon number of a field stored in a cavity. Atoms behaving as microscopic clocks cross the cavity successively. By measuring the light-induced alterations of the clock rate, information is progressively extracted, until the initially uncertain photon number converges to an integer. The suppression of the photon number spread is demonstrated by correlations between repeated measurements. The procedure illustrates all the postulates of quantum measurement (state collapse, statistical results and repeatability) and should facilitate studies of non-classical fields trapped in cavities.     

Efficient quantum computing using coherent photon conversion

Single photons are excellent quantum information carriers: they were used in the earliest demonstrations of entanglement and in the production of the highest-quality entanglement reported so far. However, current schemes for preparing, processing and measuring them are inefficient. For example, down-conversion provides heralded, but randomly timed, single photons, and linear optics gates are inherently probabilistic. Here we introduce a deterministic process--coherent photon conversion (CPC)--that provides a new way to generate and process complex, multiquanta states for photonic quantum information applications. The technique uses classically pumped nonlinearities to induce coherent oscillations between orthogonal states of multiple quantum excitations. One example of CPC, based on a pumped four-wave-mixing interaction, is shown to yield a single, versatile process that provides a full set of photonic quantum processing tools. This set satisfies the DiVincenzo criteria for a scalable quantum computing architecture, including deterministic multiqubit entanglement gates (based on a novel form of photon-photon interaction), high-quality heralded single- and multiphoton states free from higher-order imperfections, and robust, high-efficiency detection. It can also be used to produce heralded multiphoton entanglement, create optically switchable quantum circuits and implement an improved form of down-conversion with reduced higher-order effects. Such tools are valuable building blocks for many quantum-enabled technologies. Finally, using photonic crystal fibres we experimentally demonstrate quantum correlations arising from a four-colour nonlinear process suitable for CPC and use these measurements to study the feasibility of reaching the deterministic regime with current technology. Our scheme, which is based on interacting bosonic fields, is not restricted to optical systems but could also be implemented in optomechanical, electromechanical and superconducting systems with extremely strong intrinsic nonlinearities. Furthermore, exploiting higher-order nonlinearities with multiple pump fields yields a mechanism for multiparty mediation of the complex, coherent dynamics.     

光子数压缩态的位相特性

用Ｐｅｎｇｇ－Ｂａｒｎｅｔｔ位相理论分析了光子数压缩态的位相特性．讨论了在弱压缩极限下的位相分布特征,其概率密度分布呈正弦分布,其位相平均值和方差与θ０的选取及压缩参量有关。     

基于DSP的号码图像实时采集系统

针对便携式号码图像采集与处理设备,设计了一种基于DSP的号码图像实时采集系统.系统以DSP为核心处理单元,采用CMOS图像传感器采集图像数据,并将图像数据直接保存到系统指定的位置,设计中以CPLD为数据采集逻辑控制单元,实现同步时序控制及并串数据转换功能.实验表明,系统可按15幅/秒的速度实时采集到大小为176×62的清晰的号码图像,并具有DSP实时处理图像的可扩展性.     

基于DSP的号码图像实时采集系统

针对便携式号码图像采集与处理设备,设计了一种基于DSP的号码图像实时采集系统。系统以DSP为核心处理单元,采用CMOS图像传感器采集图像数据,并将图像数据直接保存到系统指定的位置。设计中以CPLD为数据采集逻辑控制单元,实现同步时序控制及并串数据转换功能。实验表明,系统可按15幅/秒的速度实时采集到大小为176×62的清晰的号码图像,并具有DSP实时处理图像的可扩展性。     

自由空间量子隐形传态实验中远程光符合的电子学系统研制

在两光子自由空间量子隐形传态实验方案中,设计了一套远程光符合的电子学系统,系统最小符合时间窗口约2ns.整个系统包括编码、解码、延时、高压驱动、符合、计数等模块.此系统实现了将实验中的经典信息和量子信息耦合在一起并通过自由空间传送到另一端进行在线符合来判定纠缠光子对.系统中编码模块将Alice端Bell基测量结果的时间标记信息和通道信息叠加在一起,通道信息的编码使用了奇偶校验和汉明码来降低事例丢失率和出错率,解码模块则分离出经典的时间标记信息和通道信息并做相应操作.完成了800m距离的两光子自由空间量子隐形传态实验,实验结果表明用本系统进行远程的实验是可行的.     

Real-time detection of electron tunnelling in a quantum dot

Nanostructures in which strong (Coulomb) interactions exist between electrons are predicted to exhibit temporal electronic correlations. Although there is ample experimental evidence that such correlations exist, electron dynamics in engineered nanostructures have been observed directly only on long timescales. The faster dynamics associated with electrical currents or charge fluctuations are usually inferred from direct (or quasi-direct) current measurements. Recently, interest in electron dynamics has risen, in part owing to the realization that additional information about electronic interactions can be found in the shot noise or higher statistical moments of a direct current. Furthermore, interest in quantum computation has stimulated investigation of quantum bit (qubit) readout techniques, which for many condensed-matter systems ultimately reduces to single-shot measurements of individual electronic charges. Here we report real-time observation of individual electron tunnelling events in a quantum dot using an integrated radio-frequency single-electron transistor. We use electron counting to measure directly the quantum dot's tunnelling rate and the occupational probabilities of its charge state. Our results provide evidence in favour of long (10 micros or more) inelastic scattering times in nearly isolated dots.     

量子区分与量子克隆简述

在经典信息理论中,编码状态可以精确复制与区分;而在量子信息中,由于态的叠加性存在,使得非正交态不可区分,量子态不可复制与删除.但是,量子态的区分和克隆在新型的量子信息科学中具有广泛的应用,例如量子密码的接收和窃听等.本文简要介绍量子态的区分和克隆的数学概念及相关研究结果.     

Tavis-Cummings模型中的量子态平均保真度

运用全量子理论,研究了Tavis-Cummings模型中量子态平均保真度的演化特性,对原子和光场的初态以及两原子的关联程度对平均保真度的影响进行了研究.结果表明,原子、光场和系统的平均保真度依赖于初态时2个原子处在基态的几率以及光场处于真空态的几率;初态两原子在基态无关联,光场处于真空态,体系不失真.     

量子点中电子态的能谱结构

本文研究二维三电子系统的能谱随禁闭势变化的特征，发现禁闭势很强时，能谱成为独立粒子运动谱。当禁闭势较弱时，电子之间的强关联导致了魔角动量的出现，而系统的结构主要由内禀节面决定。     

级联三能级原子与光场相互作用模型中的保真度

运用了全量子理论,对级联三能级原子和单模光场作用模型中的保真度演化特性进行了研究,讨论了影响保真度的因素。结果显示,系统的保真度主要取决于原子和光场之间的关联程度,当原子处于高能态时,原子和光场关联增强,光场和原子的保真度降低;原子处在低能态时,光场和原子的关联性减弱,光场和原子的保真度增加。     

Generation of nonclassical photon pairs for scalable quantum communication with atomic ensembles

Quantum information science attempts to exploit capabilities from the quantum realm to accomplish tasks that are otherwise impossible in the classical domain. Although sufficient conditions have been formulated for the physical resources required to achieve quantum computation and communication, there is a growing understanding of the power of quantum measurement combined with the conditional evolution of quantum states for accomplishing diverse tasks in quantum information science. For example, a protocol has recently been developed for the realization of scalable long-distance quantum communication and the distribution of entanglement over quantum networks. Here we report the first enabling step in the realization of this protocol, namely the observation of quantum correlations for photon pairs generated in the collective emission from an atomic ensemble. The nonclassical character of the fields is demonstrated by the violation of an inequality involving their normalized correlation functions. Compared to previous investigations of non-classical correlations for photon pairs produced in atomic cascades and in parametric down-conversion, our experiment is distinct in that the correlated photons are separated by a programmable time interval (of about 400 nanoseconds in our initial experiments).     

量子方法研究光子单缝和多缝衍射光强分布

结合量子方法研究光子在单缝和多缝中的衍射.首先利用光子满足的薛定谔方程得出光子在屏上光强表达式,然后通过基尔霍夫公式得出光强与缝宽、缝长、缝厚和光波长的定量关系.与实验和经典理论的对比结果表明,它们之间相互吻合很好.     

Generation of Fock states in a superconducting quantum circuit

Spin systems and harmonic oscillators comprise two archetypes in quantum mechanics. The spin-1/2 system, with two quantum energy levels, is essentially the most nonlinear system found in nature, whereas the harmonic oscillator represents the most linear, with an infinite number of evenly spaced quantum levels. A significant difference between these systems is that a two-level spin can be prepared in an arbitrary quantum state using classical excitations, whereas classical excitations applied to an oscillator generate a coherent state, nearly indistinguishable from a classical state. Quantum behaviour in an oscillator is most obvious in Fock states, which are states with specific numbers of energy quanta, but such states are hard to create. Here we demonstrate the controlled generation of multi-photon Fock states in a solid-state system. We use a superconducting phase qubit, which is a close approximation to a two-level spin system, coupled to a microwave resonator, which acts as a harmonic oscillator, to prepare and analyse pure Fock states with up to six photons. We contrast the Fock states with coherent states generated using classical pulses applied directly to the resonator.     

粒子标准模型中量子数的对称性矛盾和新的组合量子数

粒子物理中的标准模型包含某些对称性矛盾.三代夸克-轻子偏离SU(3)对称性,按此它们应该组成对称的6个SU(2)群.如果对称性完全成立,类似于u-d是I=1/2的同位旋二重态,c-s和t-b及三代轻子(ve-e,vμ-μ,vτ-τ)也应该是是I=1/2的同位旋二重态.但这与s和c夸克是两个I=0的同位旋单重态不同.我们引入一个新的组合量子数F=I-S,它可以惟一地描述各种重子.此外,粒子物理中还存在短程的强、弱相互作用与作用距离的矛盾;由相同的夸克组成核子-介子时,结合能与稳定性的矛盾;超弦的质量可达宏观标度Δm=2.209×10-2g等.     

The security of decoy state protocol in the partial photon number splitting attack

The decoy state protocol was proposed to overcome the primitive photon number splitting attack. When using a better strategy, the attacker can ensure that the ratio of the overall gain of the signal state pulse against the decoy state pulse changes very little, even to keep the overall gain of the signal state pulses equal to that obtained without attacker. In this paper we first give a model of the partial photon number splitting attack which contains the original one, and then find that the decoy state protocol still works effectively under the partial photon number splitting attack.