Progress in Superconducting Qubit Circuits Steven M. Girvin, Yale University, DMR 1004406

1. Progress in Superconducting Qubit CircuitsSteven M. Girvin, Yale University, DMR 1004406 A revolutionary new approach to computation uses quantum states of artificial atoms to represent information. In an ordinary computer the information is stored in bits whose values can be 0 or 1. In a quantum computer the bits can be in a superposition state of 0 and 1 at the same time, allowing many computations to be done in parallel. The great power of quantum superpositions is also the Achilles heel of the quantum computer. Superposition states are extremely delicate and difficult to maintain for long periods. Through clever design and ‘quantum engineering,’ the lifetime of quantum superpositions in superconducting qubits has now grown five orders of magnitude to ~100 microseconds. This experimental progress brings a need for new high-precision theoretical methods for determining the quantum energy levels of superconducting circuits. We have developed such a method which combines classical finite-element numerical microwave simulations with quantum mechanics. S. Nigg et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.108, 240502 (2012)

2. Progress in Superconducting Qubit CircuitsSteven M. Girvin, Yale University, DMR 1004406 Young scientists taking part in the Yale Physics Olympics competition. Held annually in October, the YPO attracts ~200 high school students and their teachers from Connecticut and surrounding states. Below: The PI leads the annual demonstration show.