Critical Fluorescence of a Transmon at the Schmid Transition

Phys Rev Lett. 2020 Dec 31;125(26):267701. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.267701.

Abstract

We investigate inelastic microwave photon scattering by a transmon qubit embedded in a high-impedance circuit. The transmon undergoes a charge-localization (Schmid) transition upon the impedance reaching the critical value. Because of the unique transmon level structure, the fluorescence spectrum carries a signature of the transition point. At higher circuit impedance, quasielastic photon scattering may account for the main part of the inelastic scattering cross section; we find its dependence on the qubit and circuit parameters.