Quantum memory coupled to cavity modes

TL;DR

This paper explores how cavity modes can be used to control and enhance quantum memory in the Kitaev honeycomb model by tuning cavity parameters, enabling detection and prolongation of quantum information storage.

Contribution

It introduces a method to modify the Kitaev model with cavity fields, enabling control over quantum memory properties and detection of anyons, which is a novel approach.

Findings

Cavity modes can detect anyons via frequency shifts.

Cavity tuning can prolong quantum memory lifetime.

Long-range anyon interactions can be mediated with tunable sign.

Abstract

Inspired by spin-electric couplings in molecular magnets, we introduce in the Kitaev honeycomb model a linear modification of the Ising interactions due to the presence of quantized cavity fields. This allows to control the properties of the low-energy toric code Hamiltonian, which can serve as a quantum memory, by tuning the physical parameters of the cavity modes, like frequencies, photon occupations, and coupling strengths. We study the properties of the model perturbatively by making use of the Schrieffer-Wolff transformation and show that, depending on the specific setup, the cavity modes can be useful in several ways. They allow to detect the presence of anyons through frequency shifts and to prolong the lifetime of the memory by enhancing the anyon excitation energy or mediating long-range anyon-anyon interactions with tunable sign. We consider both resonant and largely detuned cavity modes.