We propose a scheme to couple short single photon pulses to superconducting qubits. An optical photon is first absorbed into an inhomogeneously broadened rare-earth doped crystal using controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening. The optical excitation is then mapped into a spin state using a series of π-pulses and subsequently transferred to a superconducting qubit via a microwave cavity. To overcome the intrinsic and engineered inhomogeneous broadening of the optical and spin transitions in rare earth doped crystals, we make use of a special transfer protocol using staggered π-pulses. We predict total transfer efficiencies on the order of 90%.
@article{arxiv.1402.5405,
title = {Interfacing Superconducting Qubits and Telecom Photons via a Rare-Earth Doped Crystal},
author = {Christopher O'Brien and Nikolai Lauk and Susanne Blum and Giovanna Morigi and Michael Fleischhauer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1402.5405},
year = {2014}
}