Scalable stable comb-to-tone integrated RF photonic drive for superconducting qubits

Area of Science:

• Quantum Computing
• Integrated Photonics
• RF Engineering

Background:

• Quantum computing, particularly using superconducting qubits, requires advanced RF signal generation and distribution.
• Current fiber photonic approaches face limitations in phase stability for scaling quantum processors.
• Efficient and stable RF signal delivery is crucial for noise-tolerant intermediate-scale quantum processors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a silicon photonic integrated circuit (PIC) based RF signal generator.
• To demonstrate enhanced stability and a pathway to high signal fidelity for quantum applications.
• To overcome the phase instability limitations of fiber-based RF distribution.

Main Methods:

• Development of a silicon photonic integrated circuit for RF signal generation.
• Integration of photonic-enhanced RF signal generation principles onto a stable PIC platform.
• Characterization of the RF signal generator's stability and fidelity.

Main Results:

• The silicon photonic integrated circuit demonstrated requisite phase stability for RF signal distribution.
• The developed system addresses both signal generation and transport requirements for quantum processors.
• A clear path towards achieving necessary signal fidelity for advanced quantum applications was established.

Conclusions:

• Silicon PICs offer a stable and scalable solution for RF signal generation in quantum computing.
• This technology overcomes key limitations of previous fiber-based photonic approaches.
• The developed RF signal generator is a significant step towards robust, large-scale superconducting quantum processors.