Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 21 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Abdo (US 2020/0036331).
Regarding claim 1, Abdo discloses a system (FIG 1-10), comprising:
a mechanical resonator (102); and
a circuit (106, 104) comprising a resonator (104) coupled to the mechanical resonator (102),
wherein a signal (132, 134) applied to the circuit controls a parametric interaction (surface acoustic wave intrinsic property) between the circuit and the mechanical resonator.
Regarding claim 21, Abdo discloses (FIG 1-10) a method (¶[0116]) of storing quantum level signals comprising:
storing (¶[0116]) a quantum state in a memory (1016) coupled to a resonator (102); and
controlling a coupling to the memory using a parametric interaction (surface acoustic wave intrinsic property) mediated by the resonator (102).
Regarding claim 22, Abdo discloses a device (FIG 1-10) comprising:
a memory for storing a quantum state (¶[0116]); and
a resonator (102) coupled to the memory operable to control a coupling to the memory using a parametric interaction (surface acoustic wave intrinsic property).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 2-13 and 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abdo.
Regarding claim 2, Abdo discloses the system except wherein the mechanical resonator has a Q factor of at least 106. As known in the art, such values are present in the mechanical resonator and therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to recognize the surface acoustic wave resonator 102 of Abdo (the mechanical resonator) has a Q factor of at least 106.
Regarding claim 3, Abdo discloses the system except further comprising a waveguide coupled to the circuit, wherein phonons dissipate from the mechanical resonator via leakage of a photon from the circuit through the waveguide. As known in the art, such configurations are used in the mechanical resonator and therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such configurations.
Regarding claim 4, Abdo discloses the system except wherein the circuit comprises a microwave circuit, the mechanical resonator supports mechanical motion at a gigahertz frequency, and the microwave circuit and the mechanical resonator are coupled via a cooperative coupling of at least 30. As known in the art, such configurations are used in the mechanical resonator and therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such configurations.
Regarding claim 5, Abdo discloses the system (FIG 2) wherein the circuit comprises or is coupled to a superconducting microwave circuit (104) and the circuit is operable to transfer a quantum level signal comprising a superposition state to a memory (106) coupled to the mechanical resonator (102).
Regarding claim 6, Abdo discloses the system (FIG 2) wherein the signal comprises a detuning of a drive tone relative to resonant modes of the circuit, so as to control the storage and a readout of the quantum level signal.
Regarding claim 7, Abdo discloses the system (FIG 2) wherein the circuit is configured to define an operating bandwidth of the system.
Regarding claim 8, Abdo discloses the system (FIG 2) wherein the mechanical resonator comprises a nano-mechanical resonator (superconducting surface acoustic wave resonator 102 implies).
Regarding claim 9, Abdo discloses the system (FIG 2) wherein the nano-mechanical resonator comprises a nanobeam (superconducting surface acoustic wave resonator 102 implies).
Regarding claim 10, Abdo discloses the system except wherein the mechanical resonator comprises a chain of acoustic cavities or a linear resonator. As known in the art, such configurations are used in the mechanical resonator and therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such configurations.
Regarding claim 11, Abdo discloses the system (FIG 2) wherein the mechanical resonator comprises a piezo-electric nanomechanical resonator (superconducting surface acoustic wave resonator 102 implies).
Regarding claim 12, Abdo discloses the system except wherein the mechanical resonator comprises a phononic crystal comprising a phononic bandgap suppressing or eliminating acoustic radiation from the mechanical resonator other than via the circuit. As known in the art, such configurations are used in the mechanical resonator and therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such configurations.
Regarding claim 13, Abdo discloses the system (FIG 2) wherein: the circuit (104 and 106) comprises or is coupled to a superconducting microwave circuit (104) and the circuit is operable to transfer a quantum level signal, comprising a qubit suitable for processing in a quantum computer, from the superconducting microwave circuit to a memory comprising or coupled to the mechanical resonator; and the signal is configured to control readout of a qubit stored in a memory coupled to or comprising the mechanical resonator (102).
Regarding claim 15, Abdo discloses the system wherein the circuit is configured to transfer a quantum level signal via the parametric interaction (surface acoustic wave intrinsic property).
Regarding claim 16, Abdo discloses the system (FIG 2) comprising a transducer transducing a quantum level signal (132, 134) between an electrical form in the circuit and an acoustic form in the mechanical resonator (102).
Regarding claim 17, Abdo discloses a network (FIG 2) comprising the transducer (106), wherein the network distributes quantum information using the quantum level signal.
Regarding claim 18, Abdo discloses the system except comprising a transducer transducing a quantum level signal into an optical signal. As known in the art, such configurations are used in the mechanical resonator and therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such configurations.
Regarding claim 19, Abdo discloses a network (FIG 2) comprising the transducer (106) wherein the network distributes quantum information except using the optical signal. As known in the art, such configurations are used in the mechanical resonator and therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such configurations.
Regarding claim 20, Abdo discloses the system except further comprising a metamaterial. As known in the art, such materials are used in the mechanical resonator and therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
WO 2022/234058 discloses quantum optical memristor for manipulating photon quantum states.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Joseph Chang whose telephone number is (571)272-1759. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00- 17:00.
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/JOSEPH CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2849