Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Superconducting devices

Quantum cups and balls

A single microwave photon in a superposition of two states of different frequency is now demonstrated using a superconducting quantum interference device to mediate the coupling between two harmonics of a resonator. Such quantum circuits bring closer the possibility of controlling photon–photon interactions at the single-photon level.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Devoret, M. H., Martinis, J. M. & Clarke, J. Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 1908–1911 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Leggett, A. J. Prog. Theor. Phys. Suppl. 69, 80–100 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Zakka-Bajjani, E. et al. Nature Phys. 7, 599–603 (2011).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hofheinz, M. et al. Nature 459, 546–549 (2009).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Rauschenbeutel, A. et al. Phys. Rev. A 64, 050301 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mariantoni, M. et al. Nature Phys. 7, 287–293 (2011).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Nakamura, Y., Pashkin, Yu. A. & Tsai, J. S. Nature 398, 786–788 (1999).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Wallraff, A. et al. Nature 431, 162–167 (2004).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Houck, A. A. et al. Nature 449, 328–331 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Knill, E., Laflamme, R. & Milburn, G. J. Nature 409, 46–52 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to P.-M. Billangeon or Y. Nakamura.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Billangeon, PM., Nakamura, Y. Quantum cups and balls. Nature Phys 7, 594–595 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2062

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2062

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing