  A continuously monitored quantum system prepared in an excited state will
decay to its ground state with an abrupt jump. The jump occurs stochastically
on a characteristic time scale T1, the lifetime of the excited state. These
quantum jumps, originally envisioned by Bohr, have been observed in trapped
atoms and ions, single molecules, photons, and single electrons in cyclotrons.
Here we report the first observation of quantum jumps in a macroscopic quantum
system, in our case a superconducting "artificial atom" or quantum bit (qubit)
coupled to a superconducting microwave cavity. We use a fast, ultralow-noise
parametric amplifier to amplify the microwave photons used to probe the qubit
state, enabling continuous high-fidelity monitoring of the qubit. This
technique represents a major step forward for solid state quantum information
processing, potentially enabling quantum error correction and feedback, which
are essential for building a quantum computer. Our technology can also be
readily integrated into hybrid circuits involving molecular magnets, nitrogen
vacancies in diamond, or semiconductor quantum dots.
