We propose how to engineer longitudinal coupling to accelerate the measurement of a qubit longitudinally coupled to a cavity, motivated by the concept of shortcuts to adiabaticity. Different modulations are inversely designed from inverse engineering, counter-diabatic driving, and genetic algorithm, for achieving optimally large values of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at a nanosecond scale. By comparison, we demonstrate that our protocols outperform the usual periodic modulations on pointer state separation and SNR. Finally, we show a possible implementation considering state-of-the-art circuit quantum electrodynamics architecture, estimating the minimal time allowed for the measurement process.

Superconducting quantum computing is experiencing a tremendous growth. Although major milestones have already been achieved, useful quantum-computing applications are hindered by a variety of decoherence phenomena. Decoherence due to two-level systems (TLSs) hosted by amorphous dielectric materials is ubiquitous in planar superconducting devices. We use high-quality quasilumped-element resonators as quantum sensors to investigate TLS-induced loss and noise. We perform two-tone experiments with a probe and pump electric fields; the pump is applied at different power levels and detunings. We measure and analyze time series of the quality factor and resonance frequency for very long time periods, up to 1000 h. We additionally carry out simulations based on the TLS interacting model in the presence of a pump field. We find that loss and noise are reduced at medium and high power, matching the simulations, but not at low power.

We study the entanglement and memristive properties of three coupled quantum memristors. We consider quantum memristors based on conductance-asymmetric superconducting quantum interference device architectures that are coupled via inductors. The three quantum memristors are arranged in two different geometries: linear and triangular coupling configurations. We obtain a variety of correlation measures, including bipartite entanglement and tripartite negativity. For identical quantum memristors, we find that entanglement and memristivity follow the same behavior for the triangular case and the opposite one in the linear case. Finally, we study the multipartite correlations with the tripartite negativity and entanglement monogamy relations, showing that our system has genuine tripartite entanglement. Our results show that quantum correlations in multipartite memristive systems have a nontrivial role and can be used to design quantum memristor arrays for quantum neural networks and neuromorphic quantum computing architectures.

We propose the encoding of memristive quantum dynamics on a digital quantum computer. Using a set of auxiliary qubits, we simulate an effective non-Markovian environment inspired by a collisional model, reproducing memristive features between expectation values of different operators in a single qubit. We numerically test our proposal in an IBM quantum simulator with 32 qubits, obtaining a pinched hysteresis curve that characterizes our quantum memristor model. Furthermore, we extend our method to the case of two coupled quantum memristors, opening the door to the study of neuromorphic quantum computing in the current noisy devices.

We propose a theoretical protocol to implement multiqubit geometric gates (i.e., the Mølmer-Sørensen gate) using photonic cat-state qubits. These cat-state qubits stored in high-$Q$ resonators are promising for hardware-efficient universal quantum computing. Specifically, in the limit of strong two-photon drivings, phase-flip errors of the cat-state qubits are effectively suppressed, leaving only a bit-flip error to be corrected. Because this dominant error commutes with the evolution operator, our protocol preserves the error bias, and, thus, can lower the code-capacity threshold for error correction. A geometric evolution guarantees the robustness of the protocol against stochastic noise along the evolution path. Moreover, by changing detunings of the cavity-cavity couplings at a proper time, the protocol can be robust against parameter imperfections (e.g., the total evolution time) without introducing extra noises into the system. As a result, the gate can produce multimode entangled cat states in a short time with high fidelities.

We report the detection of a gate-tunable kinetic inductance in a hybrid $\mathrm{In}\mathrm{As}$/$\mathrm{Al}$ nanowire. For this purpose, we embed the nanowire into a quarter-wave coplanar waveguide resonator and measure the resonance frequency of the circuit. We find that the resonance frequency can be changed via the gate voltage that controls the electron density of the proximitized semiconductor and thus the nanowire inductance. Applying Mattis-Bardeen theory, we extract the gate dependence of the normal-state conductivity of the nanowire, as well as its superconducting gap. Our measurements complement existing characterization methods for hybrid nanowires and provide a useful tool for gate-controlled superconducting electronics.

Very recently, strongly non-Gaussian states have been observed via a direct three-mode spontaneous parametric down-conversion in a superconducting cavity [Phys. Rev. X 10, 011011 (2020)]. The created multiphoton non-Gaussian correlations are attractive and useful for various quantum information tasks. However, how to detect and classify multipartite non-Gaussian entanglement has not yet been completely understood. Here, we present an experimentally practical method to characterize continuous-variable multipartite non-Gaussian entanglement, by introducing a class of nonlinear squeezing parameters involving accessible higher-order moments of phase-space quadratures. As these parameters can depend on arbitrary operators, we consider their analytical optimization over a set of practical measurements, in order to detect different classes of multipartite non-Gaussian entanglement ranging from fully separable to fully inseparable. We demonstrate that the nonlinear squeezing parameters act as an excellent approximation to the quantum Fisher information within accessible third-order moments. The level of the nonlinear squeezing quantifies the metrological advantage provided by those entangled states. Moreover, by analyzing the above-mentioned experiment, we show that our method can be readily used to confirm fully inseparable tripartite non-Gaussian entangled states by performing a limited number of measurements without requiring full knowledge of the quantum state.

The conversion between spin and orbital angular momentum plays a crucial role in modern science and has a wide range of applications in optical multistate magnetization, optical micromanipulation, classical and quantum optical communications. However, it becomes difficult in many complex environments due to the inherent scattering effect. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the active control of spin and orbital angular-momentum conversion of light by a scattering system. We obtain significant optimization results and prove that the angular-momentum conversion process in scattering medium is tunable and flexible. Our work opens the door for high-dimensional optical information exchange in complex circumstance and paves the way for applications of optical angular momentum in optical communication.

Continuous-variable (CV) entanglement constitutes a powerful approach to deterministic quantum information protocols. Improving the scale of entanglement is of vital importance for enhancing the information capacity of quantum information protocols. Here we demonstrate the deterministic generation of CV entanglement of large-scale Hermite-Gaussian (HG) modes from the four-wave mixing (FWM) process in an atomic vapor. In our experiment, 56 pairs of entangled HG modes are deterministically and simultaneously generated from the FWM process, which increases the number of entangled spatial mode pairs in the CV system. Meanwhile, we experimentally verify the existence of CV entanglement between the evolution process from HG mode to Laguerre-Gaussian mode. Our results shed light on constructing high-capacity CV quantum information protocols and provide a promising platform to study CV entanglement.

We present a method for quantum tomography of multiqubit states. We apply the method to spin-multiphoton states, which we generate using a quantum dot based device. Periodic excitation of a quantum dot confined spin deterministically generates strings of entangled photons in a cluster state, threefold faster than previously demonstrated. Our tomography method uses time-resolved polarization-sensitive multiphoton correlation measurements to measure both the polarization of the confined spin and that of the emitted photons. We develop an edge-sensitive gradient-descent algorithm and apply it to the acquired data to map the periodic physical process that generates the cluster state. We utilize our tomographic method to optimize our quantum dot based device and show that the enhanced generation rate increases the entanglement robustness of the generated multiqubit state.

Optomechanical systems show great potential as quantum transducers and information storage devices for use in future hybrid quantum networks. In this context, optomechanical strong coupling can enable efficient, high-bandwidth, and deterministic transfer of quantum states. While optomechanical strong coupling has been realized at optical frequencies, it has proven difficult to identify a robust optomechanical system that features the low loss and high coupling rates required for more sophisticated control of mechanical motion. In this paper, we demonstrate strong coupling in a Brillouin-based bulk cavity optomechanical system in both the single-mode and the multimode strong-coupling regime, which leads to a useful device both for applications in quantum information and for investigating decoherence phenomena in bulk acoustic wave resonators. Using nontrivial mode hybridizations in the strong-coupling regime, we create hybridized photonic-phononic modes with lifetimes that are significantly longer than those of the uncoupled system. This surprising lifetime enhancement, which results from the interference of decay channels, showcases the use of multimode strong coupling as a general strategy to control extrinsic decoherence mechanisms. Moreover, phonons supported by such bulk-acoustic-wave resonators have a collection of properties, including high frequencies, long coherence times, and robustness against thermal decoherence, that make this optomechanical system particularly enticing for applications such as quantum transduction and memories. Hence, this system provides access to phenomena in a previously unexplored regime of optomechanical interactions and could serve as an important building block for future quantum devices.

One of the main bottlenecks in the pursuit of a large-scale–chip-based quantum computer is the large number of control signals needed to operate qubit systems. As system sizes scale up, the number of terminals required to connect to off-chip control electronics quickly becomes unmanageable. Here, we discuss a quantum-dot spin-qubit architecture that integrates on-chip control electronics, allowing for a significant reduction in the number of signal connections at the chip boundary. By arranging the qubits in a two-dimensional array with about $12\mu \mathrm{m}$ pitch, we create space to implement locally integrated sample-and-hold circuits. This allows us to offset the inhomogeneities in the potential landscape across the array and to globally share the majority of the control signals for qubit operations. We make use of advanced circuit modeling software to go beyond conceptual drawings of the component layout, to assess the feasibility of the scheme through a concrete floor plan, including estimates of footprints for quantum and classical electronics, as well as routing of signal lines across the chip using different interconnect layers. We make use of local demultiplexing circuits to achieve an efficient signal-connection scaling, leading to a Rent’s exponent as low as $p=0.43$. Furthermore, we use available data from state-of-the-art spin qubit and microelectronics technology development, as well as circuit models and simulations, to estimate the operation frequencies and power consumption of a million-qubit array. This work presents a complementary approach to previously proposed architectures, focusing on a feasible scheme to integrating quantum and classical hardware, and identifying remaining challenges for achieving full fault-tolerant quantum computation. It thereby significantly closes the gap towards a fully CMOS-compatible quantum computer implementation.

Current noise levels in physical realizations of qubits and quantum operations limit the applicability of conventional methods to characterize entanglement. In this adverse scenario, we follow a quantum variational approach to estimate the geometric measure of entanglement of multiqubit pure states. The algorithm requires only single-qubit gates and measurements, so it is well suited for noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices. This is demonstrated by successfully implementing the method on IBM Quantum devices for Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states of three, four, and five qubits. Numerical simulations with random states show the robustness and accuracy of the method. The scalability of the protocol is numerically demonstrated via matrix-product-state techniques up to $25$ qubits.

Single color centers in solid have emerged as promising physical platforms for quantum information science. Creating these centers with excellent quantum properties is a key foundation for further technological developments. In particular, the microscopic understanding of the spin-bath environments is the key to engineer color centers for quantum control. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a distinct high-temperature annealing (HTA) approach for creating high-quality nitrogen vacancy (N-V) centers in implantation-free diamonds. Simultaneously using the created N-V centers as probes for their local environment we verify that no damage is microscopically induced by the HTA. Nearly all single N-V centers created in ultralow-nitrogen-concentration membranes possess stable and Fourier-transform-limited optical spectra. Furthermore, HTA strongly reduces noise sources naturally grown in ensemble samples, and leads to more than threefold improvements of decoherence time and sensitivity. We also verify that the vacancy activation and defect reformation, especially H3 and P1 centers, can explain the reconfiguration between spin baths and color centers. This distinct approach will become a powerful tool in vacancy-based quantum technology.

We investigate quantum repeater protocols that rely on three-qubit repetition codes using nitrogen-vacancy (N-$V$) centers in diamond as quantum memories. N-$V$ centers offer a two-qubit register, corresponding to their electron and nuclear spins, which makes it possible to perform deterministic two-qubit operations within one N-$V$ center. For quantum repeater applications, however, we need to do joint operations on two separate N-$V$ centers. Here, we study two N-$V$-center-based repeater structures that enable such deterministic joint operations. One structure offers less consumption of classical communication, at the cost of more computation overhead, whereas the other relies on a smaller number of physical resources and operations. We assess and compare their performance for the task of secret-key generation under the influence of noise and decoherence with current and near-term experimental parameters. We quantify the regimes of operation where one structure outperforms the other, and find the regions where encoded quantum repeaters offer practical advantages over their nonencoded counterparts.