Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

In recent years, research on the physical nature of information showed that new possibilities for computation arise when one uses the most fundamental theory of nature - quantum mechanics. Quantum computation is a new area of research concerned with ways to process information by proper encoding into the state of controlled quantum systems. Various types of physical systems are considered for the implementation of the basic unit of a quantum information processor, the quantum bit. Superconducting quantum bits have attracted a lot of attention due to their unique prospects for large-scale quantum computing. These prospects reside in the way in which they are built: superconducting quantum bits are micron-sized superconducting electrical circuits, fabricated using established techniques from microelectronics. The control of quantum systems, as required in quantum computing, poses tremendous challenges. The state of a quantum system changes irreversibly due to the interaction with its environment, through physical processes termed decoherence. The discovery of quantum error correction showed that the genuine speed-up of quantum computing can be preserved, despite decoherence, by combining two strategies: effective isolation from the environment and adapted quantum control methods. This NSERC Research Tools and Instruments application requests funding for equipment, formed of arbitrary waveform generators and microwave devices, which will be used for research on quantum control methods applied to superconducting quantum bits. This equipment will be used by two MSc students, one PhD student, and one postdoctoral researcher. These researchers will thus gain expertise in various experimental methods, such as arbitrary waveform generation, microwave pulse shaping techniques, propagation and detection of microwave signals, and computer-controlled experiments.