This is unlike atomic systems like trapped ion quantum computers, where each atom is necessarily exactly the same as the other.
Superconducting qubits are regarded as promising because superconductivity is a macroscopic quantum phenomena of Bose Einstein condensation, and so as a macroscopic phenomena, it is easier to control and observe.
This is mentioned e.g. in this relatively early: physicsworld.com/a/superconducting-quantum-bits/. While most quantum phenomena is observed at the atomic scale, superconducting qubits are micrometer scale, which is huge!
Physicists are comfortable with the use of quantum mechanics to describe atomic and subatomic particles. However, in recent years we have discovered that micron-sized objects that have been produced using standard semiconductor-fabrication techniques – objects that are small on everyday scales but large compared with atoms – can also behave as quantum particles.
Atom-based qubits like trapped ion quantum computers have parameters fixed by the laws of physics.
However superconducting qubits have a limit on how precise their parameters can be set based on how well we can fabricate devices. This may require per-device characterisation.
In Ciro's ASCII art circuit diagram notation, it is a loop with three Josephson junctions:
+----X-----+
|          |
|          |
|          |
+--X----X--+
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/Flux_Qubit_-_Holloway.jpg
Video 1.
Superconducting Qubit by NTT SCL (2015)
Source.
Offers an interesting interpretation of superposition in that type of device (TODO precise name, seems to be a flux qubit): current going clockwise or current going counter clockwise at the same time. youtu.be/xjlGL4Mvq7A?t=1348 clarifies that this is just one of the types of qubits, and that it was developed by Hans Mooij et. al., with a proposal in 1999 and experiments in 2000. The other type is dual to this one, and the superposition of the other type is between N and N + 1 copper pairs stored in a box.
Their circuit is a loop with three Josephson junctions, in Ciro's ASCII art circuit diagram notation:
+----X-----+
|          |
|          |
|          |
+--X----X--+
They name the clockwise and counter clockwise states and (named for Left and Right).
When half the magnetic flux quantum is applied as microwaves, this produces the ground state:
where and cancel each other out. And the first excited state is:
Then he mentions that:
  • to go from 0 to 1, they apply the difference in energy
  • if the duration is reduced by half, it creates a superposition of .
Used e.g. in the Sycamore processor.
The most basic type of transmon is in Ciro's ASCII art circuit diagram notation, an LC circuit e.g. as mentioned at youtu.be/cb_f9KpYipk?t=180 from Video "The transmon qubit by Leo Di Carlo (2018)":
+----------+
| Island 1 |
+----------+
   |   |
   X   C
   |   |
+----------+
| Island 2 |
+----------+
youtu.be/eZJjQGu85Ps?t=2443 from Video "Superconducting Qubits I Part 1 by Zlatko Minev (2020)" describes a (possibly simplified) physical model of it, as two superconducting metal islands linked up by a Josephson junction marked as X in the diagram as per-Ciro's ASCII art circuit diagram notation:
+-------+       +-------+
|       |       |       |
| Q_1() |---X---| Q_2() |
|       |       |       |
+-------+       +-------+
The circuit is then analogous to a LC circuit, with the islands being the capacitor. The Josephson junction functions as a non-linear inductor.
Others define it with a SQUID device instead: youtu.be/cb_f9KpYipk?t=328 from Video "The transmon qubit by Leo Di Carlo (2018)". He mentions that this allows tuning the inductive element without creating a new device.
Video 1.
The superconducting transmon qubit as a microwave resonator by Daniel Sank (2021)
Source.
Video 2.
Calibration of Transmon Superconducting Qubits by Stefan Titus (2021)
Source. Possibly this Keysight which would make sense.
This is a good review article.
EdX course. Meh! Just give me the YouTube list!!
But seriously, this is a valuable little list.
The course is basically exclusively about transmons.
Video 1.
The transmon qubit by Leo Di Carlo (2018)
Source. Via QuTech Academy.
Video 2.
Circuit QED by Leo Di Carlo (2018)
Source. Via QuTech Academy.
Video 3.
Measurements on transmon qubits by Niels Bultink (2018)
Source. Via QuTech Academy. I wish someone would show some actual equipment running! But this is of interest.
Video 4.
Single-qubit gate by Brian Taraskinki (2018)
Source. Good video! Basically you make a phase rotation by controlling the envelope of a pulse.
Video 5.
Two qubit gates by Adriaan Rol (2018)
Source.
Video 6.
Assembling a Quantum Processor by Leo Di Carlo (2018)
Source. Via QuTech Academy.

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