Continuous wave single photon transistor based on a superconducting circuit

Understand

We propose a microwave frequency single photon transistor which can operate under continuous wave probing, and represents an efficient single microwave photon detector.

• It can be realized using an impedance matched system of a three level artificial ladder-type atom coupled to two microwave cavities connected to input/output waveguides.
• Using a classical drive on the upper transition, we find parameter space where a single photon control pulse incident on one of cavities can be fully absorbed into hybridized excited states.
• This subsequently leads to series of quantum jumps in the upper manifold and the appearance of a photon flux leaving the second cavity through a separate input/output port.