Control and Measurement of Coupled Mesoscopic Quantum Systems

Williams College, Williamstown MA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will develop new theoretical techniques to control and measure coupled mesoscopic quantum systems, focusing on superconducting quantum bits (qubits) and resonators. Such techniques are important in quantum information processing. The first goal is to engineer entangled quantum states of, and joint operations on, two mesoscopic resonators. The second goal is to analyze the tunneling dynamics of a phase qubit, in which the Zeno effect is induced by a continuous measurement. This will help to elucidate the ways in which measurements can be used to control mesoscopic systems. These theoretical studies are relevant to near-future experiments on mesoscopic devices. The project will focus both on short-term experimental demonstrations of NOON states and long-term approaches to scalable quantum information processing. This project has three kinds of broader impact. First, there will be significant involvement of undergraduate students at Williams, and graduate students at UMass Boston. The latter has the most diverse campus in New England, with a large fraction of minorities. These students will not only be exposed to research, but they will also gain experience in high-performance computing, skills that are becoming increasingly important in industry as well as academia. Students at Williams involved in the research will have access to UMass Boston's parallel computing cluster. Second, the project will develop and support a collaborative effort between Williams College and UMass Boston in parallel with the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Third, the project will contribute to enhancing and maintaining the high-peformance computing facilities at UMass Boston.