Conditional-phase (cz) gates in transmons can be realized by flux pulsing computational states towards resonance with noncomputational ones. We present a 40 ns cz gate based on a bipolar flux pulse suppressing leakage (0.1%) by interference and approaching the speed limit set by exchange coupling. This pulse harnesses a built-in echo to enhance fidelity (99.1%) and is robust to long-timescale distortion in the flux-control line, ensuring repeatability. Numerical simulations matching experiment show that fidelity is limited by high-frequency dephasing and leakage by short-timescale distortion.

We present and demonstrate a general three-step method for extracting the quantum efficiency of dispersive qubit readout in circuit QED. We use active depletion of post-measurement photons and optimal integration weight functions on two quadratures to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio of the non-steady-state homodyne measurement. We derive analytically and demonstrate experimentally that the method robustly extracts the quantum efficiency for arbitrary readout conditions in the linear regime. We use the proven method to optimally bias a Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier and to quantify different noise contributions in the readout amplification chain.

While the on-chip processing power in circuit QED devices is growing rapidly, an open challenge is to establish high-fidelity quantum links between qubits on different chips. Here, we show entanglement between transmon qubits on different cQED chips with 49% concurrence and 73% Bell-state fidelity. We engineer a half-parity measurement by successively reflecting a coherent microwave field off two nearly identical transmon-resonator systems. By ensuring the measured output field does not distinguish |01) from |10), unentangled superposition states are probabilistically projected onto entangled states in the odd-parity subspace. We use in situ tunability and an additional weakly coupled driving field on the second resonator to overcome imperfect matching due to fabrication variations. To demonstrate the flexibility of this approach, we also produce an even-parity entangled state of similar quality, by engineering the matching of outputs for the |00) and |11) states. The protocol is characterized over a range of measurement strengths using quantum state tomography showing good agreement with a comprehensive theoretical model.

We present an experimental study of flux- and gate-tunable nanowire transmons with state-of-the-art relaxation time allowing quantitative extraction of flux and charge noise coupling to the Josephson energy. We evidence coherence sweet spots for charge, tuned by voltage on a proximal side gate, where first order sensitivity to switching two-level systems and background 1/f noise is minimized. Next, we investigate the evolution of a nanowire transmon in a parallel magnetic field up to 70 mT, the upper bound set by the closing of the induced gap. Several features observed in the field dependence of qubit energy relaxation and dephasing times are not fully understood. Using nanowires with a thinner, partially covering Al shell will enable operation of these circuits up to 0.5 T, a regime relevant for topological quantum computation and other applications.

We present a scalable scheme for executing the error-correction cycle of a monolithic surface-code fabric composed of fast-flux-tunable transmon qubits with nearest-neighbor coupling. An eight-qubit unit cell forms the basis for repeating both the quantum hardware and coherent control, enabling spatial multiplexing. This control uses three fixed frequencies for all single-qubit gates and a unique frequency-detuning pattern for each qubit in the cell. By pipelining the interaction and readout steps of ancilla-based X- and Z-type stabilizer measurements, we can engineer detuning patterns that avoid all second-order transmon-transmon interactions except those exploited in controlled-phase gates, regardless of fabric size. Our scheme is applicable to defect-based and planar logical qubits, including lattice surgery.

Quantum computing holds the promise of exponential speedup compared to classical computing for select algorithms and applications. Relatively small numbers of logical quantum bits or qubits could outperform the largest of supercomputers. Quantum dots in Si-based heterostructures and superconducting Josephson junctions are just two of the many approaches to construct the qubit. These, in particular, bear similarities to the transistors and interconnects used in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. While initial results on few-qubit systems are promising, advanced process control is expected to improve the qubit uniformity, coherence time, and gate fidelity needed for larger systems. This can be realized through the systematic characterization of film growth, interface control, and patterning.

The quantum Rabi model describing the fundamental interaction between light and matter is a cornerstone of quantum physics. It predicts exotic phenomena like quantum phase transitions and ground-state entanglement in ultrastrong and deep-strong coupling regimes, where coupling strengths are comparable to or larger than subsystem energies. Demonstrating dynamics remains an outstanding challenge, the few experiments reaching these regimes being limited to spectroscopy. Here, we employ a circuit quantum electrodynamics chip with moderate coupling between a resonator and transmon qubit to realise accurate digital quantum simulation of deep-strong coupling dynamics. We advance the state of the art in solid-state digital quantum simulation by using up to 90 second-order Trotter steps and probing both subsystems in a combined Hilbert space dimension of 80, demonstrating characteristic Schrödinger-cat-like entanglement and large photon build-up. Our approach will enable exploration of extreme coupling regimes and quantum phase transitions, and demonstrates a clear first step towards larger complexities such as in the Dicke model.

With the introduction of superconducting circuits into the field of quantum optics, many experimental demonstrations of the quantum physics of an artificial atom coupled to a single-mode light field have been realized. Engineering such quantum systems offers the opportunity to explore extreme regimes of light-matter interaction that are inaccessible with natural systems. For instance the coupling strength g can be increased until it is comparable with the atomic or mode frequency ω_a,m and the atom can be coupled to multiple modes which has always challenged our understanding of light-matter interaction. Here, we experimentally realize a transmon qubit in the ultra-strong coupling regime, reaching coupling ratios of g/ω_m = 0.19 and we measure multi-mode interactions through a hybridization of the qubit up to the fifth mode of the resonator. This is enabled by a qubit with 88% of its capacitance formed by a vacuum-gap capacitance with the center conductor of a coplanar waveguide resonator. In addition to potential applications in quantum information technologies due to its small size, this architecture offers the potential to further explore the regime of multi-mode ultra-strong coupling.

We present a tuneup protocol for qubit gates with tenfold speedup over traditional methods reliant on qubit initialization by energy relaxation. This speedup is achieved by constructing a cost function for Nelder-Mead optimization from real-time correlation of nondemolition measurements interleaving gate operations without pause. Applying the protocol on a transmon qubit achieves 0.999 average Clifford fidelity in one minute, as independently verified using randomized benchmarking and gate-set tomography. The adjustable sensitivity of the cost function allows the detection of fractional changes in the gate error with a nearly constant signal-to-noise ratio. The restless concept demonstrated can be readily extended to the tuneup of two-qubit gates and measurement operations.

We present superconducting microwave-frequency resonators based on NbTiN nanowires. The small cross section of the nanowires minimizes vortex generation, making the resonators resilient to magnetic fields. Measured intrinsic quality factors exceed 2×105 in a 6-T in-plane magnetic field and 3×104 in a 350-mT perpendicular magnetic field. Because of their high characteristic impedance, these resonators are expected to develop zero-point voltage fluctuations one order of magnitude larger than in standard coplanar waveguide resonators. These properties make the nanowire resonators well suited for circuit QED experiments needing strong coupling to quantum systems with small electric dipole moments and requiring a magnetic field, such as electrons in single and double quantum dots.

We present two pulse schemes to actively deplete measurement photons from a readout resonator in the nonlinear dispersive regime of circuit QED. One method uses digital feedback conditioned on the measurement outcome, while the other is unconditional. In the absence of analytic forms and symmetries to exploit in this nonlinear regime, the depletion pulses are numerically optimized using the Powell method. We speed up photon depletion by more than six inverse resonator linewidths, saving approximately 1650 ns compared to depletion by waiting. We quantify the benefit by emulating an ancilla qubit performing repeated quantum-parity checks in a repetition code. Fast depletion increases the mean number of cycles to a spurious error detection event from order 1 to 75 at a 1-μs cycle time.