IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,405,247
Granted Patent B2
US 12,405,247 · App. 17/998,316 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Methods and systems for protecting coherence in qubits

Inventors: Kevin C. Miao (Chicago, IL); David D. Awschalom (Chicago, IL)
Assignee: The University of Chicago
G01N27/82G06N10/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,405,247
App. No.
17/998,316
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure is directed to devices, systems, and methods for a generation of a decoherence-protected subspace in a quantum system. The decoherence-protected subspace provides the quantum system with reduced sensitivity to environmental magnetic, electric, and thermal noises. Quantum information operation based on the quantum system can be performed while this decoherence-protected subspace is maintained.

Claims (39)

1. A method comprising:

providing a quantum system having a first quantum state, a second quantum state, and a third quantum state corresponding to a first energy level, a second energy level, and a third energy level forming a first quantum subspace;

applying a dressing drive field, resonant with an energy splitting between the second and third energy levels, to induce a hybridization of the dressing drive field and the second and third energy levels to generate a fourth hybridized state and a fifth hybridized state wherein the first quantum state, the fourth hybridized state and the fifth hybridized state form a second quantum subspace with enhanced coherence protection of a quantum state of the quantum system from environmental noises over the first quantum subspace;

performing a coherent control of a quantum superposition in the second quantum subspace while maintaining the dressing drive field;

mapping the quantum superposition in the second quantum subspace to the first quantum subspace; and

reading out the quantum superposition in the first quantum subspace.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein mapping the quantum superposition in the second quantum subspace to the first quantum subspace comprises a non-adiabatic removal of the dressing drive field.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the non-adiabatic removal of the dressing drive field comprises removing the dressing drive field at a time scale faster than an inverse of the energy splitting between the second and the third energy levels.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth and the fifth hybridized states are formed via an Autler-Townes splitting induced by the dressing drive field resonant with the energy splitting between the second and the third quantum states.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the fourth and the fifth hybridized states are formed by mixing the second and third quantum states.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising providing a feedback error signal to adjust an amplitude of the dressing drive field to compensate for driving amplitude or frequency drift.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising initializing the quantum system to the first quantum initialization in the first quantum subspace wherein performing a coherent control of the quantum superposition in the second quantum subspace comprises at least one of:

resonantly driving a transition between the first quantum state and the fourth hybridized state;

resonantly driving a transition between the first quantum state and the fifth hybridized state;

resonantly driving a transition between the fourth hybridized state and the fifth hybridized state; or

resonantly driving a transition between the fourth hybridized state or the fifth hybridized state and a clone hybridized state of the fourth hybridized state or the fifth hybridized state.

8. The method according to claim 1 , where in the dressing drive field comprises a continuous-wave electromagnetic filed resonant with the second and third energy levels.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the quantum system comprises an electronic spin system and the first, the second, and the third quantum states comprises a first, second, and third spin states.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein reading out the quantum superposition in the first quantum subspace comprising optically mapping the quantum superposition to an optically bright state of the electronic spin system and measuring an optical emission from the optically bright state.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the optical emission from the optically bright state is measured via a phonon side band emission of the optically bright state.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a protection of the quantum superposition from environmental electric or magnetic field fluctuations in the second quantum subspace is enhanced by at least one order of magnitude compared with the first quantum subspace.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the energy splitting between the second and third energy levels at a zero external magnetic field is larger than an energy splitting threshold so that the second and third energy levels do not cross under external magnetic field smaller than a magnetic field threshold and wherein the first, second, and third spin states comprise electronic orbital ground states.

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein performing the coherent control of the quantum superposition in the second quantum subspace comprises driving a transition between the first spin state and the fourth hybridized state or a transition between the first spin state and the fifth hybridized by a resonant magnetic field or driving a transition between the fourth hybridized state and the fifth hybridized state by a resonant electric field.

15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the electronic spin system comprises a solid-state host with a defect.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the solid-state host comprises a semiconductor lattice and wherein the semiconductor lattice is a silicon carbide crystalline lattice and the defect comprises a divacancy defect.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the divacancy defect is a basally oriented divacancy in the silicon carbide crystalline lattice.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein the divacancy defect is a kh divacancy in the silicon carbide crystalline lattice and wherein the silicon carbide crystalline lattice is configured in a 4H polytype.

19. A device comprising:

a quantum system; and

at least two electrodes adapted to apply external electric or magnetic fields to the quantum system,

wherein:

the quantum system comprises a first quantum state, a second quantum state, and a third quantum state corresponding to a first energy level, a second energy level, and a third energy level forming a first quantum subspace;

the at least two electrodes are adapted to apply a dress drive field resonant with an energy splitting between the second and third energy levels to induce a hybridization of the dressing drive field and the second and third energy levels to generate a fourth hybridized state and a fifth hybridized state wherein the first quantum state, the fourth hybridized state and the fifth hybridized state form a second quantum subspace with enhanced coherence protection of a quantum state of the quantum system from environmental noises over the first quantum subspace; and

the at least two electrodes are adapted to effectuate a coherent control of a quantum superposition in the second quantum subspace while maintaining the dressing drive field.

20. The device according to claim 19 , wherein:

the quantum system comprises an electronic spin system and the first, the second, and the third quantum states comprises a first, second, and third spin states;

the first, second, and third spin states comprise electronic orbital ground states;

the quantum system comprises a solid-state host embedded with a defect; and

solid-state host comprises a silicon carbide crystalline lattice and the defect comprises a divacancy defect.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Apr 3, 2025
From: UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
To: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 070723/0586 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2022
From: MIAO, KEVIN; AWSCHALOM, DAVID
To: THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Reel/Frame 061711/0119 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63023579 · May 12, 2020
Related Publication 20230314374A1 · Oct 5, 2023
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