The quantum Rabi model, involving a two-level system and a bosonic field mode, is arguably the simplest and most fundamental model describing quantum light-matter interactions. Historically, due to the restricted parameter regimes of natural light-matter processes, the richness of this model has been elusive in the lab. Here, we experimentally realize a quantum simulation of the quantum Rabi model in a single trapped ion, where the coupling strength between the simulated light mode and atom can be tuned at will. The versatility of the demonstrated quantum simulator enables us to experimentally explore the quantum Rabi model in detail, including a wide range of otherwise unaccessible phenomena, as those happening in the ultrastrong and deep strong-coupling regimes. In this sense, we are able to adiabatically generate the ground state of the quantum Rabi model in the deep strong-coupling regime, where we are able to detect the nontrivial entanglement between the bosonic field mode and the two-level system. Moreover, we observe the breakdown of the rotating-wave approximation when the coupling strength is increased, and the generation of phonon wave packets that bounce back and forth when the coupling reaches the deep strong-coupling regime. Finally, we also measure the energy spectrum of the quantum Rabi model in the ultrastrong-coupling regime.

This is an introduction to the special issue collection of articles on Semi-classical and quantum Rabi models to be published in J. Phys. A: Mathematical and Theoretical to mark the 80th anniversary of the Rabi model.

The quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) has proved to be an effective classical-quantum algorithm serving multiple purposes, from solving combinatorial optimization problems to finding the ground state of many-body quantum systems. Since the QAOA is an Ansatz-dependent algorithm, there is always a need to design Ansätze for better optimization. To this end, we propose a digitized version of the QAOA enhanced via the use of shortcuts to adiabaticity. Specifically, we use a counterdiabatic (CD) driving term to design a better Ansatz, along with the Hamiltonian and mixing terms, enhancing the global performance. We apply our digitized-CD QAOA to Ising models, classical optimization problems, and the $P$-spin model, demonstrating that it outperforms the standard QAOA in all cases we study.

The quantum Rabi model is in the scientific spotlight due to the recent theoretical and experimental progress. Nevertheless, a full-fledged classification of its coupling regimes remains as a relevant open question. We propose a spectral classification dividing the coupling regimes into three regions based on the validity of perturbative criteria on the quantum Rabi model, which allows us the use of exactly solvable effective Hamiltonians. These coupling regimes are (i) the perturbative ultrastrong coupling regime which comprises the Jaynes-Cummings model, (ii) a region where nonperturbative ultrastrong and nonperturbative deep strong coupling regimes coexist, and (iii) the perturbative deep strong coupling regime. We show that this spectral classification depends not only on the ratio between the coupling strength and the natural frequencies of the unperturbed parts, but also on the energy to which the system can access. These regimes additionally discriminate the completely different behaviors of several static physical properties, namely the total number of excitations, the photon statistics of the field, and the cavity-qubit entanglement. Finally, we explain the dynamical properties which are traditionally associated with the deep strong coupling regime, such as the collapses and revivals of the state population, in the frame of the proposed spectral classification.

Circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED) studies the interaction of artificial atoms, open transmission lines, and electromagnetic resonators fabricated from superconducting electronics. While the theory of an artificial atom coupled to one mode of a resonator is well studied, considering multiple modes leads to divergences which are not well understood. Here, we introduce a first-principles model of a multimode resonator coupled to a Josephson junction atom. Studying the model in the absence of any cutoff, in which the coupling rate to mode number $n$ scales as $\sqrt{n}$ for $n$ up to $\infty$, we find that quantities such as the Lamb shift do not diverge due to a natural rescaling of the bare atomic parameters that arises directly from the circuit analysis. Introducing a cutoff in the coupling from a nonzero capacitance of the Josephson junction, we provide a physical interpretation of the decoupling of higher modes in the context of circuit analysis. In addition to explaining the convergence of the quantum Rabi model with no cutoff, our work also provides a useful framework for analyzing the ultrastrong coupling regime of a multimode circuit QED.

We propose a method to simulate spin models in trapped ions using a digital-analog approach, consisting in a suitable gate decomposition in terms of analog blocks and digital steps. In this way, we show that the quantum dynamics of an enhanced variety of spin models could be implemented with substantially less number of gates than a fully digital approach. Typically, analog blocks are built of multipartite dynamics providing the complexity of the simulated model, while the digital steps are local operations bringing versatility to it. Finally, we describe a possible experimental implementation in trapped-ion technologies.