Observation of the Photon-Blockade Breakdown Phase Transition
Nonequilibrium phase transitions exist in damped-driven open quantum systems when the continuous tuning of an external parameter leads to a transition between two robust steady states. In second-order transitions this change is abrupt at a critical point, whereas in first-order transitions the two p...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2017-01-01
|
| Series: | Physical Review X |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.7.011012 |
| _version_ | 1818741611613388800 |
|---|---|
| author | J. M. Fink A. Dombi A. Vukics A. Wallraff P. Domokos |
| author_facet | J. M. Fink A. Dombi A. Vukics A. Wallraff P. Domokos |
| author_sort | J. M. Fink |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nonequilibrium phase transitions exist in damped-driven open quantum systems when the continuous tuning of an external parameter leads to a transition between two robust steady states. In second-order transitions this change is abrupt at a critical point, whereas in first-order transitions the two phases can coexist in a critical hysteresis domain. Here, we report the observation of a first-order dissipative quantum phase transition in a driven circuit quantum electrodynamics system. It takes place when the photon blockade of the driven cavity-atom system is broken by increasing the drive power. The observed experimental signature is a bimodal phase space distribution with varying weights controlled by the drive strength. Our measurements show an improved stabilization of the classical attractors up to the millisecond range when the size of the quantum system is increased from one to three artificial atoms. The formation of such robust pointer states could be used for new quantum measurement schemes or to investigate multiphoton phases of finite-size, nonlinear, open quantum systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:59:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-51f1058fd9b745a685c449dd2297a3fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2160-3308 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:59:23Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review X |
| spelling | doaj.art-51f1058fd9b745a685c449dd2297a3fc2022-12-21T21:24:48ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review X2160-33082017-01-017101101210.1103/PhysRevX.7.011012Observation of the Photon-Blockade Breakdown Phase TransitionJ. M. FinkA. DombiA. VukicsA. WallraffP. DomokosNonequilibrium phase transitions exist in damped-driven open quantum systems when the continuous tuning of an external parameter leads to a transition between two robust steady states. In second-order transitions this change is abrupt at a critical point, whereas in first-order transitions the two phases can coexist in a critical hysteresis domain. Here, we report the observation of a first-order dissipative quantum phase transition in a driven circuit quantum electrodynamics system. It takes place when the photon blockade of the driven cavity-atom system is broken by increasing the drive power. The observed experimental signature is a bimodal phase space distribution with varying weights controlled by the drive strength. Our measurements show an improved stabilization of the classical attractors up to the millisecond range when the size of the quantum system is increased from one to three artificial atoms. The formation of such robust pointer states could be used for new quantum measurement schemes or to investigate multiphoton phases of finite-size, nonlinear, open quantum systems.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.7.011012 |
| spellingShingle | J. M. Fink A. Dombi A. Vukics A. Wallraff P. Domokos Observation of the Photon-Blockade Breakdown Phase Transition Physical Review X |
| title | Observation of the Photon-Blockade Breakdown Phase Transition |
| title_full | Observation of the Photon-Blockade Breakdown Phase Transition |
| title_fullStr | Observation of the Photon-Blockade Breakdown Phase Transition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Observation of the Photon-Blockade Breakdown Phase Transition |
| title_short | Observation of the Photon-Blockade Breakdown Phase Transition |
| title_sort | observation of the photon blockade breakdown phase transition |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.7.011012 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jmfink observationofthephotonblockadebreakdownphasetransition AT adombi observationofthephotonblockadebreakdownphasetransition AT avukics observationofthephotonblockadebreakdownphasetransition AT awallraff observationofthephotonblockadebreakdownphasetransition AT pdomokos observationofthephotonblockadebreakdownphasetransition |