Simulation of the spin-boson model with superconducting phase qubit coupled to a transmission line

Based on the rapid experimental developments of circuit QED, we propose a feasible scheme to simulate a spin-boson model with the superconducting circuits, which can be used to detect quantum Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) phase transition. We design the spin-boson model by using a superconducting phase qubit coupled with a semi-infinite transmission line, which is regarded as bosonic reservoir with a continuum spectrum. By tuning the bias current or the coupling capacitance, the quantum KT transition can be directly detected through tomography measurement on the states of the phase qubit. We also estimate the experimental parameters using numerical renormalization group method.