September 5, 2025
Ahmed Hajr
PhD Student, Siddiqi Group
"Novel Schemes of Quantum Control with Strong Light-Matter Coupling"
Quantum computing is a paradigm of computing that utilizes concepts such as superposition and entanglement to implement quantum algorithms that surpass the capabilities of classical hardware. Superconducting quantum circuits is a promising platform in this regard, with proofs of principle demonstrations of quantum advantage over classical supercomputers and quantum error-correction beyond fault tolerance. However, current noisy devices require improvements by orders of magnitude to realize the full potential of quantum algorithms, which raises questions about the best schemes to encode and manipulate quantum information. In this talk, I will first introduce our work in realizing high-coherence 2D Kerr-Cat qubits with emphasis on their bit-flip protection, high-fidelity readout, and two-qubit entanglement. Next, I will present preliminary results on how we can utilize the strong light-matter coupling architecture to realize more fascinating processes like Colored-dissipation for population confinement. Finally, I will discuss how these ideas can be extended to a more traditional qubit like the transmon.
Biosketch
Ahmed Hajr is a 5th year PhD student in Applied Science & Technology (AS&T) working in the Quantum Nanoelectronics Laboratory of Professor Irfan Siddiqi. His research focuses on strong light-matter interaction in superconducting quantum circuits. Ahmed obtained his B.S. in Physics from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, during which he worked on computational spintronics doing tight-binding simulation of heterostructures.