Spin cat states in ferromagnetic insulators

Sharma S, Bittencourt VA, Karenowska AD, Viola Kusminskiy S (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Physical Review B American Physical Society

Book Volume: 103

Article Number: L100403

Journal Issue: 10

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.103.L100403

Abstract

Generating nonclassical states in macroscopic systems is a long-standing challenge. A promising platform in the context of this quest are novel hybrid systems based on magnetic dielectrics, where photons can couple strongly and coherently to magnetic excitations, although a nonclassical state therein is yet to be observed. We propose a scheme to generate a magnetization cat state, i.e., a quantum superposition of two distinct magnetization directions, using a conventional setup of a macroscopic ferromagnet in a microwave cavity. Our scheme uses the ground state of an ellipsoid shaped magnet, which displays anisotropic quantum fluctuations akin to a squeezed vacuum. The magnetization collapses to a cat state by either a single photon or a parity measurement of the microwave cavity state. We find that a cat state with two components separated by ∼5ℏ is feasible and briefly discuss potential experimental setups that can achieve it.

Authors with CRIS profile

Silvia Viola Kusminskiy Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Physik

Involved external institutions

University of Oxford GB United Kingdom (GB) Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts (MPL) / Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Sharma, S., Bittencourt, V.A., Karenowska, A.D., & Viola Kusminskiy, S. (2021). Spin cat states in ferromagnetic insulators. Physical Review B, 103(10). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.L100403

MLA:

Sharma, Sanchar, et al. "Spin cat states in ferromagnetic insulators." Physical Review B 103.10 (2021).

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