Dissipation-Based Quantum Sensing of Magnons with a Superconducting Qubit.

Hybrid quantum devices expand the tools and techniques available for quantum sensing in various fields. Here, we experimentally demonstrate quantum sensing of a steady-state magnon population in a magnetostatic mode of a ferrimagnetic crystal. Dispersively coupling the magnetostatic mode to a superconducting qubit allows for the detection of magnons using Ramsey interferometry with a sensitivity on the order of 10^{-3} magnons/sqrt[Hz]. The protocol is based on dissipation as dephasing via fluctuations in the magnetostatic mode reduces the qubit coherence proportionally to the number of magnons.

Breaking the trade-off between fast control and long lifetime of a superconducting qubit.

The rapid development in designs and fabrication techniques of superconducting qubits has made coherence times of qubits longer. In the future, however, the radiative decay of a qubit into its control line will be a fundamental limitation, imposing a trade-off between fast control and long lifetime of the qubit. Here, we break this trade-off by strongly coupling another superconducting qubit along the control line. This second qubit, which we call "Josephson quantum filter" (JQF), prevents the first qubit from emitting microwave photons and thus suppresses its relaxation, while transmitting large-amplitude control microwave pulses due to the saturation of the quantum filter, enabling fast qubit control. This device functions as an automatic decoupler between a qubit and its control line and could help in the realization of a large-scale superconducting quantum processor by reducing the heating of the qubit environment and the crosstalk between qubits.

Strain-induced effects in colloidal quantum dots: lifetime measurements and blinking statistics.

A series of samples of CdSe/Cd(x)Zn(1-x)S core/shell quantum dots have been synthesized in order to measure the influence of lattice-mismatch-induced strain on the photoluminescence (PL) and blinking behaviour. The PL spectra show a significant variation of the fluorescence wavelength even though the colloidal quantum dots (cQDs) are similar in size. The PL excitation spectra show a gradual splitting of the first exciton level as the proportion of Zn is increased in the shell and as the shell grows. On the other hand, blinking studies clearly demonstrate a significant dependence on the amount of Zn present in the shell. Distributions of on and off times go from the usual power-law distributions to power-law distributions with exponential cut-offs. These cut-offs become increasingly pronounced as the proportion of Zn increases. We interpret these results in the framework of diffusion-controlled electron transfer. Exciton relaxation lifetime measurements strongly suggest that lattice mismatch is responsible for a greater number of defects in core/shell cQDs. Therefore, strain and lattice mismatch are shown to be parameters of significant importance for the electronic structure of nanocrystals, influencing the photoluminescence, exciton relaxation lifetime and blinking behaviour.