Patents by Inventor James R. Medford

James R. Medford has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11646734
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for resetting a qubit comprising a superconducting loop and a compound Josephson junction. A first bias flux is provided to the superconducting loop. A second bias flux is provided to the compound Josephson junction. Each of the first bias flux and the second bias flux are provided such that a given excited state of the qubit is near a top of a potential barrier associated with a potential of the qubit. A continuous microwave signal is generated having a frequency equal to a transition frequency between an other excited state of the qubit and the given excited state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexander Marakov, Anthony Joseph Przybysz, James R. Medford
  • Patent number: 11010686
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for flux control of a qubit. A quantum system includes a microwave transmitter configured to provide a continuous microwave tone, and a qubit configured such that transition energy of the qubit between a ground state of the qubit and a first excited state of the qubit is tunable via an applied flux. The qubit also has an inductive element responsive to the continuous microwave tone to produce a Rabi oscillation within the qubit. A flux source is configured to apply a flux to the qubit to selectively tune the transition energy of the qubit, such that the transition energy of the qubit can be tuned to a frequency of the Rabi oscillation or detuned from the Rabi oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: James R. Medford
  • Publication number: 20200234173
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for flux control of a qubit. A quantum system includes a microwave transmitter configured to provide a continuous microwave tone, and a qubit configured such that transition energy of the qubit between a ground state of the qubit and a first excited state of the qubit is tunable via an applied flux. The qubit also has an inductive element responsive to the continuous microwave tone to produce a Rabi oscillation within the qubit. A flux source is configured to apply a flux to the qubit to selectively tune the transition energy of the qubit, such that the transition energy of the qubit can be tuned to a frequency of the Rabi oscillation or detuned from the Rabi oscillation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: JAMES R. MEDFORD
  • Patent number: 10158343
    Abstract: A push-pull tunable coupler includes a push transformer, a pull transformer and two compound Josephson junctions arranged in upper and lower branches. Absent biasing, the balanced push and pull of current between the branches causes current from a first object to circulate within a loop and not to be coupled to a second object. Biasing of at least one of the compound Josephson junctions unbalances the push and pull of current in the branches to couple the first and second objects. The coupler has reduced sensitivity to differential-mode noise around the off state, is completely insensitive to common-mode noise, and is capable of inverting the coupled signal with appropriate relative biasing of the compound Josephson junctions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zachary Kyle Keane, James R. Medford
  • Publication number: 20150239739
    Abstract: A method of producing carbon nanotubes includes directing a flow of a gas over a substrate to provide growth of at least one carbon nanotube in a carbon-nanotube-growth region of the substrate; applying an electric field to the carbon-nanotube-growth region of the substrate after the at least one carbon nanotube has begun to grow in the carbon-nanotube-growth region, the electric field being substantially in a first direction in the carbon-nanotube-growth region; and changing the electric field at a preselected time to be substantially in a second direction in the carbon-nanotube-growth region during growth of the at least one carbon nanotube. The second direction is different from the first direction resulting in a bend substantially at a selected position of the at least one carbon nanotube, the method of producing carbon nanotubes providing the production of the at least one carbon nanotube having at least one bend substantially at a selected position along the at least one carbon nanotube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Nina Markovic, Christopher A. Merchant, James R. Medford
  • Patent number: 9056777
    Abstract: A method of producing carbon nanotubes includes directing a flow of a gas over a substrate to provide growth of at least one carbon nanotube in a carbon-nanotube-growth region of the substrate; applying an electric field to the carbon-nanotube-growth region of the substrate after the at least one carbon nanotube has begun to grow in the carbon-nanotube-growth region, the electric field being substantially in a first direction in the carbon-nanotube-growth region; and changing the electric field at a preselected time to be substantially in a second direction in the carbon-nanotube-growth region during growth of the at least one carbon nanotube. The second direction is different from the first direction resulting in a bend substantially at a selected position of the at least one carbon nanotube, the method of producing carbon nanotubes providing the production of the at least one carbon nanotube having at least one bend substantially at a selected position along the at least one carbon nanotube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Nina Markovic, Christopher A. Merchant, James R. Medford
  • Publication number: 20110171111
    Abstract: A method of producing carbon nanotubes includes directing a flow of a gas over a substrate to provide growth of at least one carbon nanotube in a carbon-nanotube-growth region of the substrate; applying an electric field to the carbon-nanotube-growth region of the substrate after the at least one carbon nanotube has begun to grow in the carbon-nanotube-growth region, the electric field being substantially in a first direction in the carbon-nanotube-growth region; and changing the electric field at a preselected time to be substantially in a second direction in the carbon-nanotube-growth region during growth of the at least one carbon nanotube. The second direction is different from the first direction resulting in a bend substantially at a selected position of the at least one carbon nanotube, the method of producing carbon nanotubes providing the production of the at least one carbon nanotube having at least one bend substantially at a selected position along the at least one carbon nanotube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Nina Markovic, Christopher A. Merchant, James R. Medford