Generating arbitrary superpositions of nonclassical quantum harmonic oscillator states

Abstract: Full coherent control and generation of superpositions of the quantum harmonic oscillator are not only of fundamental interest but are crucial for applications in quantum simulations, quantum-enhanced metrology and continuous-variable quantum computation. The extension of such superpositions to nonclassical states increases their power as a resource for such applications. Here, we create arbitrary superpositions of nonclassical and non-Gaussian states of a quantum harmonic oscillator using the motion of a trapped ion coupled to its internal spin states. We interleave spin-dependent nonlinear bosonic interactions and mid-circuit measurements of the spin that preserve the coherence of the oscillator. These techniques enable the creation of superpositions between squeezed, trisqueezed, and quadsqueezed states, which have never been demonstrated before, with independent control over the complex-valued squeezing parameter and the probability amplitude of each constituent, as well as their spatial separation. We directly observe the nonclassical nature of these states in the form of Wigner negativity following a full state reconstruction. Our methods apply to any system where a quantum harmonic oscillator is coupled to a spin.