Topological photonics on superconducting quantum circuits with parametric couplings

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent theoretical and experimental progress in topological photonics using superconducting quantum circuits, highlighting the role of parametric couplings in realizing topological phases and protected effects.

Contribution

It introduces the use of superconducting quantum circuits with parametric couplings as a versatile platform for exploring topological photonics and exotic topological phases.

Findings

Demonstrated tunable topological phases in superconducting circuits

Showed potential for novel topological photonic devices

Explored fundamental physics of topologically protected effects

Abstract

Topological phases of matter is an exotic phenomena in modern condense matter physics, which has attracted much attention due to the unique boundary states and transport properties. Recently, this topological concept in electronic materials has been exploited in many other fields of physics. Motivated by designing and controlling the behavior of electromagnetic waves, in optical, microwave, and sound frequencies, topological photonics emerges as a rapid growing research field. Due to the flexibility and diversity of superconducting quantum circuits system, it is an promising platform to realize exotic topological phases of matter and to probe and explore topologically-protected effects in new ways. Here, we review theoretical and experimental advances of topological photonics on superconducting quantum circuits via the experimentally demonstrated parametric tunable coupling techniques, including using of the superconducting transmission line resonator, superconducting qubits, and the coupled system of them. On superconducting circuits, the flexible interactions and intrinsic nonlinearity making topological photonics in this system not only a simple photonic analog of topological effects for novel devices, but also a realm of exotic but less-explored fundamental physics.