Circuit-QED analogue of a single-atom injection maser: Lasing, trapping states and multistability

TL;DR

This paper explores a superconducting circuit system analogous to a single-atom injection maser, demonstrating strong coupling effects, lasing behavior, trapping states, and multistability, enabling detailed study of quantum optical phenomena in solid-state devices.

Contribution

It introduces a superconducting circuit model that mimics a single-atom injection maser, allowing experimental investigation of quantum optical effects with strong coupling and measurement capabilities.

Findings

Observation of lasing states in the circuit

Identification of trapping states and multistability

Demonstration of anharmonic coupling effects

Abstract

We study a superconducting single-electron transistor (SSET) which is coupled to a LC-oscillator via the phase difference across one of the Josephson junctions. This leads to a strongly anharmonic coupling between the SSET and the oscillator. The coupling can oscillate with the number of photons which makes this system very similar to the single-atom injection maser. However, the advantage of a design based on superconducting circuits is the strong coupling and existence of standard methods to measure the radiation field in the oscillator. This makes it possible to study many effects that have been predicted for the single-atom injection maser in a circuit quantum electrodynamics setup.