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  • Review Article
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Atomic physics and quantum optics using superconducting circuits

Nature volume 474, pages 589–597 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

Superconducting circuits based on Josephson junctions exhibit macroscopic quantum coherence and can behave like artificial atoms. Recent technological advances have made it possible to implement atomic-physics and quantum-optics experiments on a chip using these artificial atoms. This Review presents a brief overview of the progress achieved so far in this rapidly advancing field. We not only discuss phenomena analogous to those in atomic physics and quantum optics with natural atoms, but also highlight those not occurring in natural atoms. In addition, we summarize several prospective directions in this emerging interdisciplinary field.

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Figure 1: Superconducting circuits as artificial atoms.
Figure 2: Three-level atoms and frequency conversions.
Figure 3: Electromagnetically induced transparency.
Figure 4: Lasing.
Figure 5: Cooling a three-level artificial atom and a nearby two-level system.
Figure 6: Transferring quantum information between two stationary qubits via a cavity.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Ashhab for comments on the manuscript. J.Q.Y. acknowledges partial support from the National Basic Research Program of China (grant no. 2009CB929300), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no.10625416), the ISTCP (grant no. 2008DFA01930) and the MOE of China (grant no. B06011). F.N. acknowledges partial support from the Laboratory of Physical Sciences, National Security Agency, Army Research Office, DARPA, AFOSR, the National Science Foundation (grant no. 0726909), JSPS-RFBR (contract no. 09-02-92114), a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S), MEXT Kakenhi on Quantum Cybernetics, and the JSPS through its FIRST programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China

    J. Q. You

  2. Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, Wako-shi 351-0198, Japan

    J. Q. You & Franco Nori

  3. Physics Department, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109-1040, Michigan, USA

    Franco Nori

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  1. J. Q. You
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Both authors developed the framework for the Review, participated in literature review and discussions, and contributed to the writing.

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You, J., Nori, F. Atomic physics and quantum optics using superconducting circuits. Nature 474, 589–597 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10122

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