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Protocols for intermodule two-qubit gates mediated by time-bin encoded photons

Z. M. McIntyre* and W. A. Coish†

  • Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 rue University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada

  • *Contact author: zoe.mcintyre@mail.mcgill.ca
  • †Contact author: william.coish@mcgill.ca
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 023255 – Published 12 June, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/xwyt-1ck7

Abstract

As quantum devices scale to larger numbers of qubits, entangling gates between distant stationary qubits will help provide flexible, long-range connectivity in modular architectures. In this work, we present protocols for implementing long-range two-qubit gates mediated by either Fock-state or time-bin qubits—photonic encodings that are both compatible with the coplanar waveguide resonators commonly used in circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED). These protocols become deterministic in the limit of vanishing photon loss. Additionally, photon loss can be heralded, signaling a failed two-qubit gate attempt. We model the loss of a time-bin qubit to a dielectric environment consisting of an ensemble of two-level systems, which are believed to be the dominant mechanism for dielectric loss in circuit QED architectures. The backaction (on the stationary qubits) associated with the loss of the time-bin qubit is strongly suppressed in a non-Markovian regime where the temporal separation of the time bins is short compared to the dielectric environment's correlation time. This result suggests strategies based on a combination of materials-fabrication and time-bin-qubit optimization for ensuring that the loss of a time-bin qubit is not only heralded but also approximately backaction-free.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 023255– Published 12 June, 2025
  • Received 5 March 2025
  • Accepted 29 May 2025
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