Introduction to Experimental Quantum Measurement with Superconducting Qubits

Abstract

Quantum technology has been rapidly growing due to its potential revolutionary applications. In particular, superconducting qubits provide a strong light-matter interaction as required for quantum computation and in principle can be scaled up to a high level of complexity. However, obtaining the full benefit of quantum mechanics in superconducting circuits requires a deep understanding of quantum physics in such systems in all aspects. One of the most crucial aspects is the concept of measurement and the dynamics of the quantum systems under the measurement process. This document is intended to be a pedagogical introduction to the concept of quantum measurement from an experimental perspective. We study the dynamics of a single superconducting qubit under continuous monitoring. We demonstrate that weak measurement is a versatile tool to investigate fundamental questions in quantum dynamics and quantum thermodynamics for open quantum systems.