Weak Qubit Measurement with a Nonlinear Cavity: Beyond Perturbation Theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a driven nonlinear cavity can improve weak qubit measurements by surpassing linear response limitations, revealing that stronger coupling enhances measurement efficiency through non-Gaussian photon fluctuations.

Contribution

It introduces a phase-space approach to analyze measurement backaction beyond perturbation theory, showing that increased coupling improves efficiency near the quantum limit.

Findings

Stronger coupling reduces backaction dephasing.

Non-Gaussian photon fluctuations are key to improved measurement.

Results align with recent superconducting circuit experiments.

Abstract

We analyze the use of a driven nonlinear cavity to make a weak continuous measurement of a dispersively-coupled qubit. We calculate the backaction dephasing rate and measurement rate beyond leading-order perturbation theory using a phase-space approach which accounts for cavity noise squeezing. Surprisingly, we find that increasing the coupling strength beyond the regime describable by leading-order perturbation theory (i.e. linear response) allows one to come significantly closer to the quantum limit on the measurement efficiency. We interpret this behaviour in terms of the non-Gaussian photon number fluctuations of the nonlinear cavity. Our results are relevant to recent experiments using superconducting microwave circuits to study quantum measurement.