Simulation of the spin-boson model with superconducting phase qubit coupled to a transmission line

Abstract

Based on the rapid experimental developments of circuit QED, we propose a feasible scheme to simulate the spin-boson model with superconducting circuits, which can be used to detect quantum Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) phase transition. We design the spinboson model by using a superconducting phase qubit coupled to a semi-infinite transmission line, which is regarded as a bosonic reservoir with a continuum spectrum. By tuning the bias current or the coupling capacitance, the quantum KT transition can be directly detected through tomography measurement on the states of the phase qubit. We also estimate the experimental parameters using the numerical renormalization group method. © Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.