Communications of the ACM
Ucsb Physicists Make Discovery in the Quantum Realm By Manipulating Light
Schematic diagram of part of the superconducting chip. The wavy line is the superconducting cavity. The piece in the bottom right is the superconducting switch.
Credit: UC Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) researchers are developing methods for building the quantum devices of the future, including super-fast and powerful quantum computers, by manipulating light on superconducting chips.
"As one crucial step of achieving controllable quantum devices, we have developed an unprecedented level of manipulating light on a superconducting chip," says Zhejiang University professor Yi Yin, who worked on the project as a postdoctoral fellow.
The researchers were able to catch and release photons in and from a superconducting cavity by incorporating a superconducting switch. "By controlling the switch on and off, we were able to open and close a door between the confined cavity and the road where photons can transmit," Yin says.
The method enables the researchers to shape the released photons in different wave forms, which is a key element for controlling photon transfer between two distant cavities. This way of moving information around is one of the most important features of the research, notes UCSB's Yu Chen.
"The shutter controls the release of this photon," Chen notes. "You need to perfectly transfer a bit of information, and this shutter helps you to do that."
From UC Santa Barbara
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