Science | 2019
Going quantum with radio waves
Abstract
Quantum Optics\nIt becomes increasingly difficult to detect long-wavelength single photons because of thermal fluctuations in the background. This can pose problems for single-photon detection for fields such as astronomy and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. Gely et al. used a superconducting qubit, initially developed for circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) and quantum information processing for microwaves, to directly observe the quantization of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields stored in a photonic microresonator. They were then able to manipulate the quantum state of the radio-frequency field, forming one- and two-photon Fock states within the microresonator, and analyze how the system interacts dynamically with its environment. The cQED approach could be used for fundamental studies in quantum thermodynamics and also find practical application in imaging.\n\nScience , this issue p. [1072][1]\n\n [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aaw3101