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Abstract Phonons, the ubiquitous quanta of vibrational energy, play a vital role in the performance of quantum technologies. Conversely, unintended coupling to phonons degrades qubit performance and can lead to correlated errors in superconducting qubit systems. Regardless of whether phonons play an enabling or deleterious role, they do not typically admit control over their spectral properties, nor the possibility of engineering their dissipation to be used as a resource. Here we show that coupling a superconducting qubit to a bath of piezoelectric surface acoustic wave phonons enables a novel platform for investigating open quantum systems. By shaping the loss spectrum of the qubit via the bath of lossy surface phonons, we demonstrate preparation and dynamical stabilization of superposition states through the combined effects of drive and dissipation. These experiments highlight the versatility of engineered phononic dissipation and advance the understanding of mechanical losses in superconducting qubit systems.
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Optimizing dynamical functions for speed with stochastic paths
Living systems are built from microscopic components that function dynamically; they generate work with molecular motors, assemble and disassemble structures such as microtubules, keep time with circadian clocks, and catalyze the replication of DNA. How do we implement these functions in synthetic nanostructured materials to execute them before the onset of dissipative losses? Answering this question requires a quantitative understanding of when we can improve performance and speed while minimizing the dissipative losses associated with operating in a fluctuating environment. Here, we show that there are four modalities for optimizing dynamical functions that can guide the design of nanoscale systems. We analyze Markov models that span the design space: a clock, ratchet, replicator, and self-assembling system. Using stochastic thermodynamics and an exact expression for path probabilities, we classify these models of dynamical functions based on the correlation of speed with dissipation and with the chosen performance metric. We also analyze random networks to identify the model features that affect their classification and the optimization of their functionality. Overall, our results show that the possible nonequilibrium paths can determine our ability to optimize the performance of dynamical functions, despite ever-present dissipation, when there is a need for speed.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1856250
- PAR ID:
- 10440779
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The Journal of Chemical Physics
- Volume:
- 157
- Issue:
- 22
- ISSN:
- 0021-9606
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0125479
