Coherent optical control of a superconducting microwave cavity via electro-optical dynamical back-action

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates coherent optical control of a superconducting microwave cavity using a multimode electro-optical device at millikelvin temperatures, enabling advanced quantum information applications.

Contribution

It presents the first experimental realization of coherent control of a superconducting microwave cavity via electro-optical back-action at millikelvin temperatures with high cooperativity.

Findings

Achieved near-unity cooperativity in electro-optical coupling.

Observed minimal excess back-action with an unexpected time delay.

Enabled potential applications in quantum transduction and entanglement.

Abstract

Recent quantum technologies have established precise quantum control of various microscopic systems using electromagnetic waves. Interfaces based on cryogenic cavity electro-optic systems are particularly promising, due to the direct interaction between microwave and optical fields in the quantum regime. Quantum optical control of superconducting microwave circuits has been precluded so far due to the weak electro-optical coupling as well as quasi-particles induced by the pump laser. Here we report the coherent control of a superconducting microwave cavity using laser pulses in a multimode electro-optical device at millikelvin temperature with near-unity cooperativity. Both the stationary and instantaneous responses of the microwave and optical modes comply with the coherent electro-optical interaction, and reveal only minuscule amount of excess back-action with an unanticipated time delay. Our demonstration enables wide ranges of applications beyond quantum transductions, from squeezing and quantum non-demolition measurements of microwave fields, to entanglement generation and hybrid quantum networks.