Generation of Frequency-Tunable Shaped Single Microwave Photons Using a Fixed-Frequency Superconducting Qubit

Abstract

Scaling up a superconducting quantum computer will likely require quantum communication between remote chips, which can be implemented using an itinerant microwave photon in a transmission line. To realize high-fidelity communication, it is essential to control the frequency and temporal shape of the microwave photon. In this work, we demonstrate the generation of frequency-tunable shaped microwave photons without resorting to any frequency-tunable circuit element. We develop a framework that treats a microwave resonator as a band-pass filter mediating the interaction between a superconducting qubit and the modes in the transmission line. This interpretation allows us to stimulate the photon emission by an off-resonant drive signal. We characterize how the frequency and temporal shape of the generated photon depends on the frequency and amplitude of the drive signal. By modulating the drive amplitude and frequency, we achieve a frequency tunability of 40 MHz while maintaining the photon mode shape time symmetric. Through measurements of the quadrature amplitudes of the emitted photons, we demonstrate a consistently high state and process fidelities around 95% across the tunable frequency range. Our hardware-efficient approach eliminates the need for additional biasing lines typically required for frequency tuning, offering a simplified architecture for scalable quantum communication.

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