Building a Bulk Acoustic Quantum Microwave-to-Optical Transducer

A transducer capable of converting single microwave and optical photons with low loss and added noise could lay the foundation for a quantum network. Our strategy for building such a device uses an acoustic resonator as an intermediary between a superconducting transmon qubit and an optical cavity. We outline our progress and share insights into some obstacles that we have encountered when engineering a cryogenic-compatible optical cavity suitable for Brillouin optomechanics. We also discuss the materials and design choices for acoustic resonators in our transduction scheme.