Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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SYQE: Intersectional Symposium Cavity meets Circuit Quantum Electrodynamics

SYQE 1: Cavity meets Circuit Quantum Electrodynamics

SYQE 1.1: Invited Talk

Friday, March 18, 2011, 10:30–11:00, HSZ 01

The driven Jaynes-Cummings system: from atoms and cavities to circuits — •Howard Carmichael — University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, new Zealand

The Jaynes-Cummings Hamiltonian models the interaction of a qubit and a single mode of the electromagnetic field. Adding an external field and dissipation defines the driven Jaynes-Cummings system. Through two decades of exciting development this elementary model has come to form a bridge between a wide array of experiments, all focused on the quantum mechanics of photons, their manipulation and control: qubits are realized with Rydberg atoms, optical transitions in atoms and quantum dots, and Josephson junction devices; electromagnetic fields in microwave cavities or striplines, optical cavities, and photonic crystals are considered. I review highlights from this history, following the trajectory from experiments with thermal atomic beams and optical cavities to those with superconducting circuits. The driven Jaynes-Cummings system is presented as an example of an open quantum system that carries the physics of photon interactions from microwave to optical frequencies, from two-state atoms to the Cooper-pair box, while accounting for the central importance of interactions between these elements and their environment.