Andrew A. Houck

The quantum dynamics of open many-body systems poses a challenge for computational approaches. Here we develop a stochastic scheme based on the positive P phase-space representation to study the nonequilibrium dynamics of coupled spin-boson networks that are driven and dissipative. Such problems are at the forefront of experimental research in cavity and solid state realizations of quantum optics, as well as cold atom physics, trapped ions and superconducting circuits. We demonstrate and test our method on a driven, dissipative two-site system, each site involving a spin coupled to a photonic mode, with photons hopping between the sites, where we find good agreement with Monte Carlo Wavefunction simulations. In addition to numerically reproducing features recently observed in an experiment [Phys. Rev. X 4, 031043 (2014)], we also predict a novel steady state quantum dynamical phase transition for an asymmetric configuration of drive and dissipation.

Like a quantum computer designed for a particular class of problems, a quantum simulator enables quantitative modeling of quantum systems that is computationally intractable with a classical computer. Quantum simulations of quantum many-body systems have been performed using ultracold atoms and trapped ions among other systems. Superconducting circuits have recently been investigated as an alternative system in which microwave photons confined to a lattice of coupled resonators act as the particles under study with qubits coupled to the resonators producing effective photon-photon interactions. Such a system promises insight into the nonequilibrium physics of interacting bosons but new tools are needed to understand this complex behavior. Here we demonstrate the operation of a scanning transmon qubit and propose its use as a local probe of photon number within a superconducting resonator lattice. We map the coupling strength of the qubit to a resonator on a separate chip and show that the system reaches the strong coupling regime over a wide scanning area.