The act of observing a quantum object fundamentally perturbs its state, resulting in a random walk toward an eigenstate of the measurement operator. Ideally, the measurement is responsible for all dephasing of the quantum state. In practice, imperfec
tions in the measurement apparatus limit or corrupt the flow of information required for quantum feedback protocols, an effect quantified by the measurement efficiency. Here we demonstrate the efficient measurement of a superconducting qubit using a nonreciprocal parametric amplifier to directly monitor the microwave field of a readout cavity. By mitigating the losses between the cavity and the amplifier we achieve a measurement efficiency of $72%$. The directionality of the amplifier protects the readout cavity and qubit from excess backaction caused by amplified vacuum fluctuations. In addition to providing tools for further improving the fidelity of strong projective measurement, this work creates a testbed for the experimental study of ideal weak measurements, and it opens the way towards quantum feedback protocols based on weak measurement such as state stabilization or error correction.
Delivering on the revolutionary promise of a universal quantum computer will require processors with millions of quantum bits (qubits). In superconducting quantum processors, each qubit is individually addressed with microwave signal lines that conne
ct room temperature electronics to the cryogenic environment of the quantum circuit. The complexity and heat load associated with the multiple coaxial lines per qubit limits the possible size of a processor to a few thousand qubits. Here we introduce a photonic link employing an optical fiber to guide modulated laser light from room temperature to a cryogenic photodetector, capable of delivering shot-noise limited microwave signals directly at millikelvin temperatures. By demonstrating high-fidelity control and readout of a superconducting qubit, we show that this photonic link can meet the stringent requirements of superconducting quantum information processing. Leveraging the low thermal conductivity and large intrinsic bandwidth of optical fiber enables efficient and massively multiplexed delivery of coherent microwave control pulses, providing a path towards a million-qubit universal quantum computer.
The measurement of a quantum system is often performed by encoding its state in a single observable of a light field. The measurement efficiency of this observable can be reduced by loss or excess noise on the way to the detector. Even a textit{quant
um-limited} detector that simultaneously measures a second non-commuting observable would double the output noise, therefore limiting the efficiency to $50%$. At microwave frequencies, an ideal measurement efficiency can be achieved by noiselessly amplifying the information-carrying quadrature of the light field, but this has remained an experimental challenge. Indeed, while state-of-the-art Josephson-junction based parametric amplifiers can perform an ideal single-quadrature measurement, they require lossy ferrite circulators in the signal path, drastically decreasing the overall efficiency. In this paper, we present a nonreciprocal parametric amplifier that combines single-quadrature measurement and directionality without the use of strong external magnetic fields. We extract a measurement efficiency of $62_{-9}^{+17} %$ that exceeds the quantum limit and that is not limited by fundamental factors. The amplifier can be readily integrated with superconducting devices, creating a path for ideal measurements of quantum bits and mechanical oscillators.
We present a new optomechanical device where the motion of a micromechanical membrane couples to a microwave resonance of a three-dimensional superconducting cavity. With this architecture, we realize ultrastrong parametric coupling, where the coupli
ng rate not only exceeds the dissipation rates in the system but also rivals the mechanical frequency itself. In this regime, the optomechanical interaction induces a frequency splitting between the hybridized normal modes that reaches 88% of the bare mechanical frequency, limited by the fundamental parametric instability. The coupling also exceeds the mechanical thermal decoherence rate, enabling new applications in ultrafast quantum state transfer and entanglement generation.
The ability to engineer nonreciprocal interactions is an essential tool in modern communication technology as well as a powerful resource for building quantum networks. Aside from large reverse isolation, a nonreciprocal device suitable for applicati
ons must also have high efficiency (low insertion loss) and low output noise. Recent theoretical and experimental studies have shown that nonreciprocal behavior can be achieved in optomechanical systems, but performance in these last two attributes has been limited. Here we demonstrate an efficient, frequency-converting microwave isolator based on the optomechanical interactions between electromagnetic fields and a mechanically compliant vacuum gap capacitor. We achieve simultaneous reverse isolation of more than 20 dB and insertion loss less than 1.5 dB over a bandwidth of 5 kHz. We characterize the nonreciprocal noise performance of the device, observing that the residual thermal noise from the mechanical environments is routed solely to the input of the isolator. Our measurements show quantitative agreement with a general coupled-mode theory. Unlike conventional isolators and circulators, these compact nonreciprocal devices do not require a static magnetic field, and they allow for dynamic control of the direction of isolation. With these advantages, similar devices could enable programmable, high-efficiency connections between disparate nodes of quantum networks, even efficiently bridging the microwave and optical domains.
We report on the design and implementation of a Field Programmable Josephson Amplifier (FPJA) - a compact and lossless superconducting circuit that can be programmed textit{in situ} by a set of microwave drives to perform reciprocal and nonreciprocal
frequency conversion and amplification. In this work we demonstrate four modes of operation: frequency conversion ($-0.5~mathrm{dB}$ transmission, $-30~mathrm{dB}$ reflection), circulation ($-0.5~mathrm{dB}$ transmission, $-30~mathrm{dB}$ reflection, $30~mathrm{dB}$ isolation), phase-preserving amplification (gain $>20~mathrm{dB}$, $1~mathrm{photon}$ of added noise) and directional phase-preserving amplification ($-10~mathrm{dB}$ reflection, $18~mathrm{dB}$ forward gain, $8~mathrm{dB}$ reverse isolation, $1~mathrm{photon}$ of added noise). The system exhibits quantitative agreement with theoretical prediction. Based on a gradiometric Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) with Nb/Al-AlO$_x$/Nb Josephson junctions, the FPJA is first-order insensitive to flux noise and can be operated without magnetic shielding at low temperature. Due to its flexible design and compatibility with existing superconducting fabrication techniques, the FPJA offers a straightforward route toward on-chip integration with superconducting quantum circuits such as qubits or microwave optomechanical systems.
We report the observation of efficient and low-noise frequency conversion between two microwave modes, mediated by the motion of a mechanical resonator subjected to radiation pressure. We achieve coherent conversion of more than $10^{12}~mathrm{photo
ns/s}$ with a $95mathrm{%}$ efficiency and a $14~mathrm{kHz}$ bandwidth. With less than $10^{-1}~mathrm{photons cdot s^{-1}cdot Hz^{-1}}$ of added noise, this optomechanical frequency converter is suitable for quantum state transduction. We show the ability to operate this converter as a tunable beam splitter, with direct applications for photon routing and communication through complex quantum networks.
While quantum mechanics exquisitely describes the behavior of microscopic systems, one ongoing challenge is to explore its applicability to systems of larger size and mass. Unfortunately, quantum states of increasingly macroscopic objects are more ea
sily corrupted by unintentional measurements from the classical environment. Additionally, even the intentional measurements from the observer can further perturb the system. In optomechanics, coherent light fields serve as the intermediary between the fragile mechanical states and our inherently classical world by exerting radiation pressure forces and extracting mechanical information. Here we engineer a microwave cavity optomechanical system to stabilize a nonclassical steady-state of motion while independently, continuously, and nondestructively monitoring it. By coupling the motion of an aluminum membrane to two microwave cavities, we separately prepare and measure a squeezed state of motion. We demonstrate a quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement of sub-vacuum mechanical quadrature fluctuations. The techniques developed here have direct applications in the areas of quantum-enhanced sensing and quantum information processing, and could be further extended to more complex quantum states.
We measure the fundamental noise processes associated with a continuous linear position measurement of a micromechanical membrane incorporated in a microwave cavity optomechanical circuit. We observe the trade-off between the two fundamental sources
of noises that enforce the standard quantum limit: the measurement imprecision and radiation-pressure backaction from photon shot noise. We demonstrate that the quantum backaction of the measurement can overwhelm the intrinsic thermal motion by 24 dB, entering a new regime for cavity optomechanical systems.
Heisenbergs uncertainty principle results in one of the strangest quantum behaviors: an oscillator can never truly be at rest. Even in its lowest energy state, at a temperature of absolute zero, its position and momentum are still subject to quantum
fluctuations. Resolving these fluctuations using linear position measurements is complicated by the fact that classical noise can masquerade as quantum noise. On the other hand, direct energy detection of the oscillator in its ground state makes it appear motionless. So how can we resolve quantum fluctuations? Here, we parametrically couple a micromechanical oscillator to a microwave cavity to prepare the system in its quantum ground state and then amplify the remaining vacuum fluctuations into real energy quanta. Exploiting a superconducting qubit as an artificial atom, we measure the photon/phonon-number distributions during these optomechanical interactions. This provides an essential non-linear resource to, first, verify the ground state preparation and second, reveal the quantum vacuum fluctuations of the macroscopic oscillators motion. Our results further demonstrate the ability to control a long-lived mechanical oscillator using a non-Gaussian resource, directly enabling applications in quantum information processing and enhanced detection of displacement and forces.
