Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The speed of modern microprocessors relies on miniaturized components, with todays' sizes corresponding to a few hundreds of atoms. Reducing the size even further brings these devices to the limit where genuine quantum effects need to be taken into account. Rather than avoiding such effects, an interesting possibility is to build a computer based on the laws of quantum mechanics. Born towards the end of the 20th century, the field of quantum information processing is an exciting area of research, which brings together physics and computer science. This research sheds as well new light on the foundations of the quantum theory.The basic unit of a quantum computer is the quantum bit, or qubit. We will explore the potential of qubits based on superconducting circuits with Josephson junctions. Superconducting qubits are realized using techniques developed in the microelectronics industry. This feature implies good prospects for scalability to the number of qubits required for a useful quantum information processor.This NSERC Discovery proposal is requesting funding for the experimental implementation of those elements that will lead to practical scalable design of a superconducting quantum computer. The first direction of the program is the development of practical tools for controlling and reading-out the state of a few qubits, based on frequency multiplexing. We will use these tools for generation of entangled states and for the study of decoherence in a many-qubit system. In another direction of research we will investigate the potential of microwave photons for quantum computing. This project will provide high-quality research training for two graduate students, two postdoctoral fellows, and three undergraduate students. They will gain a strong background in quantum computing and superconductivity, and experience in a whole range of experimental techniques in the area of microfabrication, cryogenics, and microwave measurements.