报告摘要：

Superconducting circuits can behave like atoms making transitions
between two energy levels. These circuits can test quantum mechanics at
macroscopic scales and can perform atomic-physics experiments on a
silicon chip. There is a deep analogy between natural atoms and the
artificial atoms made of electrons confined in small superconducting
components in quantum circuits. Both have discrete energy levels and
exhibit coherent quantum oscillations between those levels. However,
whereas natural atoms are controlled using visible or microwave photons
that excite electrons from one state to another, the artificial atoms in
the circuits are driven by currents, voltages, and microwave photons.
Differences between quantum circuits and natural atoms include how
strongly each system couples to its environment; the coupling is weak
for atoms and strong for circuits. In contrast with naturally occurring
atoms, artificial atoms can be lithographically designed to have
specific characteristics, such as a large dipole moment or particular
transition frequencies. That level of control is an important advantage
over natural atoms. My talk will cover several interesting things which
can be explored in these artificial systems.