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Cavity and circuit QED
The main goal of the course is to study the light-matter interaction at the fundamental level where one two-level system interacts with a single mode of the electromagnetic field.
The lecture will first present the fundamental concept of cavity quantum electrodynamics (Jaynes–Cummings model, resonant and dispersive interaction, Schrödinger cat states of light) and then moves to the more recent developments of circuit QED.
Syllabus
The body of lectures will consists of two parts :
- Cavity QED : description of the interaction between a single atom and the mode of the field, Jaynes-Cummings model, Rabi oscillation, dispersive interaction, generation of Schrödinger cat states, QND measurement of the field, decoherence).
- Circuit QED : We will study concepts of quantum electrodynamics with superconducting circuits. Unlike microscopic entities such as individual atoms or ions, these circuits are macroscopic arrangements of pieces of superconducting material, assembled in the form of metallic wires and plates. Their state is described by collective degrees of freedom such as voltages and currents, which behave quantum mechanically. Superconductivity and the Josephson effect endow these circuits with low loss and non-linearity, making them ideal systems to engineer complex architectures suitable for quantum information processing.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge on Quantum Mechanics and Light/Field interaction
Evaluation
We will organize an exam (written or oral) at the end of the semester.