Mohammad Mirhosseini - Quantum Colloquium Series

Quantum Acoustics in Silicon

Abstract: Mechanical oscillators in the quantum regime provide a promising platform for quantum information processing, precision sensing, and tests of fundamental physics. In this talk, he will present new techniques for generating and characterizing non-classical states of mechanical motion using superconducting qubits. Their approach couples electrical and mechanical degrees of freedom via modulation of the electrostatic force in a miniaturized vacuum-gap capacitor. By eliminating the need for piezoelectric materials, we enable mechanical oscillators made from single-crystal silicon, a material with exceptionally low acoustic loss. He will present results demonstrating single-phonon decay times exceeding those of superconducting qubits by more than two orders of magnitude, along with methods for mechanical spectroscopy of individual microscopic defects. Finally, he will discuss progress toward high-rate conversion of microwave photons to optical photons using mechanical transducers.

Bio: Mohammad Mirhosseini is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics at the California Institute of Technology, where he has led his research group since 2020. He received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester, where he worked on high-capacity quantum communication with structured photons, and was subsequently a Kavli Nanoscience Institute (KNI) Postdoctoral Scholar at Caltech. His honors include the NSF CAREER Award, the AFOSR Young Investigator Program Award, and an Okawa Foundation Research Grant.