Chains of Josephson junctions: A resource for new physics and better devices

Free lunch served at 11:45

Superconducting qubits are shaping up to be promising candidates for a potential quantum computer. In addition to this specific value, the process of engineering such devices creates new elements for quantum circuits, reveals new paths for probing novel physics, and forces the development of techniques required to successfully work in the quantum regime. In this talk I will talk about one superconducting qubit in particular, fluxonium. I will describe how the development of Josephson junction chains led to very large inductance elements and in turn an opportunity to explore the ultrastrong coupling regime in the Jaynes-Cummings Hamiltonian. I will finish with a high level description of the experimental methods used to create these devices and view the interesting phenomena.