On-demand single microwave photon source in a superconducting circuit with pulse-level frequency tunability over two octaves of bandwidth

In this article, we propose a new method of generating single microwave photons in superconducting circuits. We theoretically show that pure single microwave photons can be generated on demand and tuned over a large frequency band by making use of Landau-Zener transitions under a rapid sweep of a control parameter. We devise a protocol that enables pulse-level control of the frequency of the emitted photon over two octaves, without requiring extensive calibration. Additionally, we make theoretical estimates of the generation efficiency, tunability, purity, and linewidth of the photons emitted using this method for both charge and flux qubit-based architectures. We also provide estimates of optimal device parameters for these architectures in order to realize the device.
Comment: 7+7 pages, 12 figures, Comments welcome