D-wave Systems Inc.

Alexandre M Zagoskin

Jeremy P Hilton

Geordie Rose

Mohammad H S Amin

Alexandre Blais

Alexander Omelyanchouk

Timothy Duty

Marcel Franz

Miles F H Steininger

Evgeni Il'ichev

Alexander Ya Tzalenchuk

Miroslav Grajcar

A solid-state quantum computing structure includes a d-wave superconductor in sets of islands that clean Josephson junctions separate from a first superconducting bank. The d-wave superconductor causes the ground state for the supercurrent at each junction to be doubly degenerate, with two supercurrent ground states having distinct magnetic moments. These quantum states of the supercurrents at the junctions create qubits for quantum computing. The quantum states can be uniformly initialized from the bank, and the crystal orientations of the islands relative to the bank influence the initial quantum state and tunneling probabilities between the ground states. A second bank, which a Josephson junction separates from the first bank, can be coupled to the islands through single electron transistors for selectably initializing one or more of the supercurrents in a different quantum state. Single electron transistors can also be used between the islands to control entanglements while the quantum states evolve. After the quantum states have evolved to complete a calculation, grounding the islands, for example, through yet another set of single electron transistors, fixes the junctions in states having definite magnetic moments and facilitates measurement of the supercurrent when determining a result of the quantum computing.

Permanent readout superconducting qubit

A structure comprising a tank circuit inductively coupled to a flux qubit or a phase qubit. In some embodiments, a low temperature preamplifier is in electrical communication with the tank circuit. The tank circuit comprises an effective capacitance and an effective inductance that are in parallel or in series. In some embodiments, the effective inductance comprises a multiple winding coil of wire. A method that includes the steps of (i) providing a tank circuit and a phase qubit that are inductively coupled, (ii) reading out a state of the phase qubit, (iii) applying a flux to the phase qubit that approaches a net zero flux, (iv) increasing a level of flux applied to the phase qubit, and (v) observing a response of the tank circuit in a readout device.

Characterization and measurement of superconducting structures

A solid-state quantum computing qubit includes a multi-terminal junction coupled to a superconducting loop where the superconducting loop introduces a phase shift to the superconducting order parameter. The ground state of the supercurrent in the superconducting loop and multi-terminal junction is doubly degenerate, with two supercurrent ground states having distinct magnetic moments. These quantum states of the supercurrents in the superconducting loop create qubits for quantum computing. The quantum states can be initialized by applying transport currents to the external leads. Arbitrary single qubit operations may be performed by varying the transport current and/or an externally applied magnetic field. Read-out may be performed using direct measurement of the magnetic moment of the qubit state, or alternatively, radio-frequency single electron transistor electrometers can be used as read-out devices when determining a result of the quantum computing. Further, qubits as described above can form arrays of qubits for performing controlled quantum computing calculations. In one example, an array of qubits can be utilized as a random number generator.

Quantum bit with a multi-terminal junction and loop with a phase shift

A superconducting structure that can operate, for example, as a qubit or a superconducting switch is presented. The structure includes a loop formed from two parts. A first part includes two superconducting materials separated by a junction. The junction can, for example, be a 45&#xb0; grain boundary junction. The second part can couple the two superconducting materials across the junction. The second part includes a superconducting material coupled to each of the two superconducting materials of the first part through c-axis junctions. Further embodiments of the invention can be as a coherent unconventional superconducting switch, or a variable phase shift unconventional superconductor junction device.

Superconducting low inductance qubit

A circuit comprising a superconducting qubit and a resonant control system that is characterized by a resonant frequency. The resonant frequency of the control system is a function of a bias current. The circuit further includes a superconducting mechanism having a capacitance or inductance. The superconducting mechanism coherently couples the superconducting qubit to the resonant control system. A method for entangling a quantum state of a first qubit with the quantum state of a second qubit. In the method, a resonant control system, which is capacitively coupled to the first and second qubit, is tuned to a first frequency that corresponds to the energy differential between the lowest two potential energy levels of the first qubit. The resonant control system is then adjusted to a second frequency corresponding to energy differential between the lowest two potential energy levels of the second qubit.

Resonant controlled qubit system

A control system for an array of qubits is disclosed. The control system according to the present invention provides currents and voltages to qubits in the array of qubits in order to perform functions on the qubit. The functions that the control system can perform include read out, initialization, and entanglement. The state of a qubit can be determined by grounding the qubit, applying a current across the qubit, measuring the resulting potential drop across the qubit, and interpreting the potential drop as a state of the qubit. A qubit can be initialized by grounding the qubit and applying a current across the qubit in a selected direction for a time sufficient that the quantum state of the qubit can relax into the selected state. In some embodiments, the qubit can be initialized by grounding the qubit and applying a current across the qubit in a selected direction and then ramping the current to zero in order that the state of the qubit relaxes into the selected state. The states of two qubits can be entangled by coupling the two qubits through a switch. In some embodiments, the switch that is capable of grounding the qubits can also be utilized for entangling selected qubits.

Methods for controlling qubits

A method is provided for entangling a quantum state of a qubit with a quantum state of a resonant control system. The method comprises tuning the resonant control system, which is capacitively or inductively coupled to the qubit, to a resonant frequency for a period of time. The resonant frequency corresponds to an energy difference between a first energy level of the qubit and a second energy level of the qubit. The act of tuning entangles the quantum state of the qubit with the quantum state of the resonant control system. A representative resonant control system includes a Josephson junction. A method is also provided for entangling a quantum state of a qubit, within a plurality of qubits, with a quantum state of a resonant control system.

A solid state dc-SQUID includes a superconducting loop containing a plurality of Josephson junctions, wherein an intrinsic phase shift is accumulated through the loop. In an embodiment of the invention, the current-phase response of the dc-SQUID sits in a linear regime where directional sensitivity to flux through the loop occurs. Changes in the flux passing through the superconducting loop stimulates current which can be quantified, thus providing a means of measuring the magnetic field. Given the linear and directional response regime of the embodied device, an inherent current to phase sensitivity is achieved that would otherwise be unobtainable in common dc-SQUID devices without extrinsic intervention.

High sensitivity, directional dc-SQUID magnetometer

Methods for coupling a superconducting qubit to a resonant control circuit. An interaction term between the qubit and the circuit initially has a diagonal component. A recoupling operation is applied to the qubit. The circuit is tuned so that a frequency of the qubit and circuit match. A second recoupling operation transforms the term to have only off-diagonal components. A method for entangling a state of two qubits coupled to a bus with a control circuit. An interaction term between at least one of the qubits and the circuit has a diagonal component. A recoupling operation is applied to at least one of the qubits such that the term has only off-diagonal components. The frequency of the circuit is tuned to the frequency of the first qubit, and then tuned to the frequency of the second qubit. The recoupling operation is reapplied to at least one of the qubits.

Quantum processing system for a superconducting phase qubit

In one embodiment, a two-junction phase qubit includes a superconducting loop and two Josephson junctions separated by a mesoscopic island on one side and a bulk loop on another side. The material forming the superconducting loop is a superconducting material with an order parameter that violates time reversal symmetry. In one embodiment, a two-junction phase qubit includes a loop of superconducting material, the loop having a bulk portion and a mesoscopic island portion. The loop further includes a relatively small gap located in the bulk portion. The loop further includes a first Josephson junction and a second Josephson junction separating the bulk portion from the mesoscopic island portion. The superconducting material on at least one side of the first and second Josephson junctions has an order parameter having a non-zero angular momentum in its pairing symmetry. In one embodiment, a qubit includes a superconducting loop having a bulk loop portion and a mesoscopic island portion. The superconducting loop further includes first and second Josephson junctions separating the bulk loop portion from the mesoscopic island portion. The superconducting loop further includes a third Josephson junction in the bulk loop portion. In one embodiment, the third Josephson junction has a Josephson energy relatively larger than a Josephson energy of the first and second Josephson junctions.

Growing community of inventors

Vancouver, Canada

Alexandre M Zagoskin