近日，德国卡尔斯鲁厄理工学院Pop, Ioan M.团队实现了超导涡旋态的量子相干操纵和读出。这一研究成果发表在2026年5月6日出版的《自然》杂志上。

超导体的一个决定性特征是其倾向于排斥磁场，然而在超过某一临界阈值时，磁通量会以阿布里科索夫涡旋携带的离散量子形式穿透进入。涡旋核心处的超导能隙完全被抑制，使其成为耗散的半经典实体，从而影响到从高电流密度导线到量子器件等各种应用。

由于在相干长度尺度上存在本征或涌现的颗粒性，材料无序可以驱动一种在核心处保留能隙的涡旋转变。尽管在这种有效隧道结机制中可能出现量子涡旋行为，且学界在不同系统中也已观测到相关特征，但尚未实现对涡旋态的相干操控。

研究组提供的证据表明，陷在颗粒超导薄膜中的涡旋可表现为二能级系统，展现出微秒量级的量子相干性以及达到几分之一毫秒的能量弛豫时间。利用电路量子电动力学的方法，研究组在颗粒铝微波谐振器中实现了对涡旋态的相干操控和量子非破坏读取，这预示着量子信息处理、材料表征和传感等领域的未来发展方向。

附：英文原文

Title: Quantum coherent manipulation and readout of superconducting vortex states

Author: Nambisan, Ameya, Gnzler, Simon, Rieger, Dennis, Gosling, Nicolas, Geisert, Simon, Carpentier, Victor, Zapata, Nicolas, Field, Mitchell, Miloevi, Milorad V., Lopez, Carlos A. Diaz, Padurariu, Ciprian, Kubala, Bjrn, Ankerhold, Joachim, Wernsdorfer, Wolfgang, Spiecker, Martin, Pop, Ioan M.

Issue&Volume: 2026-05-06

Abstract: A defining characteristic of superconductors is their tendency to expel magnetic fields, yet above a critical threshold, magnetic flux penetrates in discrete quanta carried by Abrikosov vortices1. The superconducting gap is completely suppressed at the vortex core, rendering them dissipative, semi-classical entities that impact applications from high-current-density wires to quantum devices. Material disorder can drive a crossover to vortices that preserve an energy gap at the core2,3,4, owing to intrinsic5 or emergent granularity on the scale of the coherence length2,6. Although quantum vortex behaviour could emerge in this effective tunnel-junction regime7, and signatures have been observed in diverse systems8,9,10, coherent manipulation of vortex states has remained elusive. Here we present evidence that vortices trapped in granular superconducting films can behave as two-level systems, exhibiting microsecond-range quantum coherence and energy relaxation times that reach fractions of a millisecond. Using the tools of circuit quantum electrodynamics11, we perform coherent manipulation and quantum non-demolition readout of vortex states in granular aluminium microwave resonators, heralding future directions for quantum information processing, materials characterization and sensing.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10441-7

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10441-7