Quantum simulation and communication with giant atoms

Research Project, 2022 – 2027

I will develop important quantum-technology applications of a new subfield in quantum optics: giant atoms. When light and matter interact, atoms are usually assumed to be much smaller than the wavelength of the light. This standard approximation breaks down in experiments with superconducting artificial atoms (qubits) coupled at multiple points, wavelengths apart, to microwave waveguides. This yields interference effects that protect the “giant” atoms from losing energy into the waveguide but still enable them to exchange quantum information through it. The protected interaction can be tuned in situ by controlling qubit frequencies. I will use this tunability in efficient protocols for simulation of open quantum systems: the giant atoms will emulate a quantum system (e.g., a molecule) and the waveguide its environment. Such simulations are hard for both classical and quantum computers; my simulation methods could enable new discoveries in physics, chemistry, and biology. I will also use giant atoms for quantum communication. Their protected interaction enables creating entangled states for release into the waveguide and distribution. Distribution of quantum information between distant quantum systems is essential for scaling up quantum computers. I will hire 1 PhD student and 3 postdocs to create these new methods for quantum simulation and communication. I will use existing collaborations with experimental and theoretical groups to implement and refine the methods.