Quantum superposition of localized and delocalized phases of photons

Based on a variant of 2-site Jaynes–Cummings–Hubbard model constructed using superconducting circuits, we propose a method to coherently superpose the localized and delocalized phases of microwave photons, which makes it possible to engineer the collective features of multiple photons in the quantum way using an individual two-level system. Our proposed architecture is also a promising candidate for implementing distributed quantum computation since it is capable of coupling remote qubits in separate resonators in a controllable way.

► A method to coherently superpose the different photonic states is proposed. ► The used Jaynes–Cummings model can be constructed using superconducting circuits. ► This model can be also used for distributed quantum computation.