Nondemolition measurements of a single quantum spin using Josephson oscillations

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a method for nondemolition measurement of a single quantum spin using Josephson oscillations in a superconducting junction, enabling quantum state readout without disturbance.

Contribution

It introduces a technique to perform quantum-non-demolition measurements of a spin via Josephson current oscillations in a superconducting circuit.

Findings

Josephson current oscillates with amplitude depending on the spin's z-component.

The method allows QND measurement of spin states at low temperatures.

The approach is effective when quasiparticle effects are negligible.

Abstract

We consider a Josephson junction containing a single localized spin 1/2 between conventional singlet superconducting electrodes. We study the spin dynamics and measurements when a dc-magnetic field ${\bf B}\parallel z$ acts on the spin and the junction is embedded into a dissipative circuit. We show that when tunneling or a voltage are turned on at time $t=0$ the Josephson current starts to oscillate with an amplitude depending on the initial ($t=0$) value of the spin $z$-component, $S_z= \pm 1/2$. At low temperatures, when effects of quasiparticles may be neglected, this procedure realizes a quantum-non-demolition (QND) measurement of $S_z$.