Continuous quantum non-demolition measurement of Fock states of a nanoresonator using feedback-controlled circuit QED

Abstract

We propose a scheme for the quantum non-demolition (QND) measurement of Fock states of a nanomechanical resonator via feedback control of a coupled circuit QED system. A Cooper pair box (CPB) is coupled to both the nanoresonator and microwave cavity. The CPB is read-out via homodyne detection on the cavity and feedback control is used to effect a non-dissipative measurement of the CPB. This realizes an indirect QND measurement of the nanoresonator via a second-order coupling of the CPB to the nanoresonator number operator. The phonon number of the Fock state may be determined by integrating the stochastic master equation derived, or by processing of the measurement signal.