Probing excited-state dynamics of transmon ionization

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Main Authors: Wang, Zihao, D'Anjou, Benjamin, Gigon, Philippe, Blais, Alexandre, Blok, Machiel S.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866914506869833728
author Wang, Zihao
D'Anjou, Benjamin
Gigon, Philippe
Blais, Alexandre
Blok, Machiel S.
author_facet Wang, Zihao
D'Anjou, Benjamin
Gigon, Philippe
Blais, Alexandre
Blok, Machiel S.
contents The fidelity and quantum nondemolition character of the dispersive readout in circuit QED are limited by unwanted transitions to highly excited states at specific photon numbers in the readout resonator. This observation can be explained by multiphoton resonances between computational states and highly excited states in strongly driven nonlinear systems, analogous to multiphoton ionization in atoms and molecules. In this work, we utilize the multilevel nature of high-$E_J/E_C$ transmons to probe the excited-state dynamics induced by strong drives during readout. With up to 10 resolvable states, we quantify the critical photon number of ionization, the resulting state after ionization, and the fraction of the population transferred to highly excited states. Moreover, using pulse-shaping to control the photon number in the readout resonator in the high-power regime, we tune the adiabaticity of the transition and verify that transmon ionization is a Landau-Zener-type transition. We further extend these methods to a typical transmon with $E_J/E_C \approx 55$ and probe the offset-charge dependence of ionization dynamics in a timed-resolved manner. Our experimental results agree well with the theoretical prediction from a semiclassical driven transmon model and may guide future exploration of strongly driven nonlinear oscillators.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_00639
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Probing excited-state dynamics of transmon ionization
Wang, Zihao
D'Anjou, Benjamin
Gigon, Philippe
Blais, Alexandre
Blok, Machiel S.
Quantum Physics
The fidelity and quantum nondemolition character of the dispersive readout in circuit QED are limited by unwanted transitions to highly excited states at specific photon numbers in the readout resonator. This observation can be explained by multiphoton resonances between computational states and highly excited states in strongly driven nonlinear systems, analogous to multiphoton ionization in atoms and molecules. In this work, we utilize the multilevel nature of high-$E_J/E_C$ transmons to probe the excited-state dynamics induced by strong drives during readout. With up to 10 resolvable states, we quantify the critical photon number of ionization, the resulting state after ionization, and the fraction of the population transferred to highly excited states. Moreover, using pulse-shaping to control the photon number in the readout resonator in the high-power regime, we tune the adiabaticity of the transition and verify that transmon ionization is a Landau-Zener-type transition. We further extend these methods to a typical transmon with $E_J/E_C \approx 55$ and probe the offset-charge dependence of ionization dynamics in a timed-resolved manner. Our experimental results agree well with the theoretical prediction from a semiclassical driven transmon model and may guide future exploration of strongly driven nonlinear oscillators.
title Probing excited-state dynamics of transmon ionization
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.00639