Quantum information processing and quantum optics with superconducting circuits

了解并最终适应环境的愿望与人类文明本身的历史一样古老。世纪初量子力学的发现为这一奋进开辟了一个新的前沿，一个基于利用支配原子和亚原子粒子行为的违反直觉的定律的前沿。这导致了现代一些最具革命性的技术，包括微电子，激光和磁共振成像（MRI）。在更基本的层面上，我们的理解已经发展到可以控制单个原子的量子特性的程度。这种“量子控制”实际上是在最基本的层面上对环境的控制和适应。尽管有这些显著的进步，量子力学改变社会的潜力还远未耗尽：我们目前正站在量子革命的边缘，这场革命有望像过去的突破一样深刻。事实上，现在人们已经认识到，量子效应可以用来创造比目前更强大的计算机。在某些情况下，这些量子计算机可能需要几天时间来解决今天最快的计算机需要数十亿年才能完成的问题。虽然建造这样的计算机具有挑战性，但过去几年在使“人造”设备以量子力学方式运作方面取得了显着进展。这个新兴的工程量子系统领域利用超导电路和微波工程的微制造技术，实现了远远超过“自然”量子系统的量子控制水平。该研究计划的目标是进一步推动我们对工程量子系统的基本理解，并找到利用其独特性质的新方法。因为这些超导设备利用的效应是我们理解量子理论的基础，所以这种探索将使我们更深入地了解量子世界，进而了解我们生活的世界。除了量子计算机，它还将为基于积极利用量子效应的显着新技术打开大门。该研究计划的重点是电路量子电动力学，一个基于微加工超导电路的工程量子系统。电路量子电动力学不仅是最有前途的量子计算机体系结构之一，而且它还弥合了不同物理领域之间的差距。我们将在i）微波频率下的量子光学; ii）改进工程量子系统的测量; iii）用电路量子电动力学处理量子信息。虽然在本质上是理论性的，但该计划与该领域许多顶级实验室的实验工作密切相关。我们的发现将有助于实现新的量子技术，同时确保加拿大在新兴的量子革命中发挥主导作用。

The desire to understand and ultimately adapt one's environment is as old as the history of human civilization itself. The discovery of quantum mechanics in the early 20th century unveiled a new frontier for this endeavor, one based on exploiting the counterintuitive laws that govern the behavior of atoms and subatomic particles. This led to some of the most revolutionary technologies of the modern era, including microelectronics, lasers, and magnetic resonance imagining (MRI). On a more fundamental level, our understanding has progressed to the point where control of the quantum properties of individual atoms is now possible. This "quantum control" is quite literally control and adaptation of the environment at its most fundamental level.******Despite these remarkable advances, the potential for quantum mechanics to transform society is far from being exhausted: we currently stand on the verge of a quantum revolution that promises to be as profound as the breakthroughs of the past. Indeed, it is now recognized that quantum effects can be harnessed to create immensely more powerful computers than current ones. In some cases, these quantum computers could take days to solve problems that would require today's fastest computers billions of years to complete. While building such computers is challenging, the past few years have seen remarkable progress in making "man-made" devices act quantum mechanically. This emerging field of engineered quantum systems uses advances in micro-fabrication of superconducting electrical circuits and microwave engineering to achieve a level of quantum control that far exceeds what is possible with "natural" quantum systems.******The goal of this research program is to push further our fundamental understanding of engineered quantum systems and to find new ways to exploit their unique properties. Because these superconducting devices harness effects that are at the foundation of our understanding of the quantum theory, this exploration will yield a deeper understanding of the quantum world, and by extension the world we live in. Beyond quantum computers, it will also open the door to remarkable new technologies based on actively exploiting quantum effects.******This research program focuses on circuit quantum electrodynamics, an engineered quantum system based on microfabricated superconducting circuits. Circuit quantum electrodynamics is not only one of the most promising quantum computer architectures, it has also bridged the gap between different fields of physics. We will make advances in i) Quantum optics at microwave frequencies; ii) Improved measurement of engineered quantum systems; iii) Quantum information processing with circuit quantum electrodynamics. While theoretical in nature, this program is heavily connected to experimental efforts in many of the field's top laboratories. Our findings will help in bringing new quantum technology to fruition, while assuring Canada a leading role in the emerging quantum revolution.