Seminars & Colloquia

Superconducting Quantum Bits that (Really!) Work

Steven M. Girvin
Departments of Physics and Applied Physics
Yale University
12 March 4:00 pm Higgins 310

Recent experimental breakthroughs have led to the construction of artificial superconducting atoms: electrical circuits whose state variables (voltages and currents) are intrinsically quantum mechanical. These two-state systems can be used as quantum bits. Through proper engineering, decoherence rates of these atoms are beginning to approach the theoretical limits set by spontaneous emission of microwave photons into the cold vacuum and complete quantum control has been demonstrated with as many as 104 coherent Ramsey fringe oscillations being detected. Rapid progress is also occurring in the development of novel high-efficiency read out schemes. This talk will give an introduction to these remarkable experimental developments and discuss some of the related theoretical issues that they open up.