Condensed Matter/Materials & Biological Physics Seminar with Joe Kitzman on Quantum Acoustics Systems

Quantum acoustic systems, in which superconducting qubits are coupled to quantized mechanical degrees of freedom, offer a unique paradigm for the investigation of the fundamental properties of sound. By leveraging the extreme sensitivity of the qubit to its environment, we interrogate the spectral properties of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator. Furthermore, by considering the full phononic density of states, we identify interference effects between resonant and lossy phonon modes, which act as the primary source of decoherence for the qubit. These phonons, which are not confined within the SAW cavity, act as an engineered dissipation channel which we use advantageously as a mechanism for the dynamical quantum state preparation and stabilization of high purity qubit states.