Continuous-variable quantum-computing is the most scalable implementation of QC to date but requires non-Gaussian resources to allow exponential speedup and quantum correction, using error encoding such as Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill (GKP) states. However, GKP state generation is still an experimental challenge. We show theoretically that photon catalysis, the interference of coherent states with single-photon states followed by photon-number-resolved detection, is a powerful enabler for non-Gaussian quantum state engineering such as exactly displaced single-photon states and Msymmetric superpositions of squeezed vacuum (SSV), including squeezed cat states (M = 2). By including photon-counting based state breeding, we demonstrate the potential to enlarge SSV states and produce GKP states.

Structural, interfacial, optical, and transport properties of large-area MoS2 ultra-thin films on BNbuffered silicon substrates fabricated using magnetron sputtering are investigated. A relatively simple growth strategy is demonstrated here that simultaneously promotes superior interfacial and bulk MoS2 properties. Few layers of MoS2 are established using X-ray reflectivity, diffraction, ellipsometry, and Raman spectroscopy measurements. Layer-specific modeling of optical constants shows very good agreement with first-principles calculations. Conductivity measurements reveal that few-layer MoS2 films are more conducting than many-layer films.Photo-conductivity measurements reveal that the sputter deposited MoS2 films compare favorably with other large-area methods. Our work illustrates that sputtering is a viable route for large-area device applications using transition metal dichalcogenides.

The Wigner quasiprobability distribution of a narrowband single-photon state was reconstructed by quantum state tomography using photon-number-resolving measurements with transition-edge sensors (TES) at system efficiency 58(2)%. This method makes no assumptions on the nature of the measured state, save for the limitation on photon flux imposed by the TES. Negativity of the Wigner function was observed in the raw data without any inference or correction for decoherence.

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