Gabriel Samach

The flux qubit revisited to enhance coherence and reproducibility.

The scalable application of quantum information science will stand on reproducible and controllable high-coherence quantum bits (qubits). Here, we revisit the design and fabrication of the superconducting flux qubit, achieving a planar device with broad-frequency tunability, strong anharmonicity, high reproducibility and relaxation times in excess of 40 μs at its flux-insensitive point. Qubit relaxation times T1 across 22 qubits are consistently matched with a single model involving resonator loss, ohmic charge noise and 1/f-flux noise, a noise source previously considered primarily in the context of dephasing. We furthermore demonstrate that qubit dephasing at the flux-insensitive point is dominated by residual thermal-photons in the readout resonator. The resulting photon shot noise is mitigated using a dynamical decoupling protocol, resulting in T2≈85 μs, approximately the 2T1 limit. In addition to realizing an improved flux qubit, our results uniquely identify photon shot noise as limiting T2 in contemporary qubits based on transverse qubit–resonator interaction.

Suppressing relaxation in superconducting qubits by quasiparticle pumping

Extending qubit lifetime through a shaped environment Qubits are the quantum two-level systems that encode and process information in quantum computing. Kept in isolation, qubits can be stable. In a practical setting, however, qubits must be addressed and interact with each other. Such an environment is typically viewed as a source of decoherence and has a detrimental effect on a qubits ability to retain encoded information. Gustavsson et al. used a sequence of pulses as a source of “environment shaping” that could substantially increase the coherence time of a superconducting qubit. Science, this issue p. 1573 Shaping the environment of a superconducting qubit can extend its lifetime. Dynamical error suppression techniques are commonly used to improve coherence in quantum systems. They reduce dephasing errors by applying control pulses designed to reverse erroneous coherent evolution driven by environmental noise. However, such methods cannot correct for irreversible processes such as energy relaxation. We investigate a complementary, stochastic approach to reducing errors: Instead of deterministically reversing the unwanted qubit evolution, we use control pulses to shape the noise environment dynamically. In the context of superconducting qubits, we implement a pumping sequence to reduce the number of unpaired electrons (quasiparticles) in close proximity to the device. A 70% reduction in the quasiparticle density results in a threefold enhancement in qubit relaxation times and a comparable reduction in coherence variability.

3D integrated superconducting qubits

As the field of quantum computing advances from the few-qubit stage to larger-scale processors, qubit addressability and extensibility will necessitate the use of 3D integration and packaging. While 3D integration is well-developed for commercial electronics, relatively little work has been performed to determine its compatibility with high-coherence solid-state qubits. Of particular concern, qubit coherence times can be suppressed by the requisite processing steps and close proximity of another chip. In this work, we use a flip-chip process to bond a chip with superconducting flux qubits to another chip containing structures for qubit readout and control. We demonstrate that high qubit coherence (T1, T2,echo > 20 μs) is maintained in a flip-chip geometry in the presence of galvanic, capacitive, and inductive coupling between the chips.Addressing qubits in a large-scale quantum processorSuperconducting qubits are a leading technology for realizing a quantum computer. To date, experiments have demonstrated control of up to ten qubits using interconnects that laterally address the qubits from the edge of a chip. Extending to larger numbers, however, will require utilizing the third dimension to avoid interconnect crowding and enable control and readout of all qubits in a two-dimensional array. Danna Rosenberg and a team led by William D. Oliver at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT campus have developed a 3D design for efficiently addressing large numbers of qubits, comprising a stack of three bonded chips, each of which performs a different function. The team performed a proof-of-principle experiment using two bonded chips, demonstrating off-chip control and read out of a qubit without significantly impacting the quality of the qubit performance. This demonstration is an important step towards the 3D integration required to build larger-scale devices for quantum information processing.

Coherent Coupled Qubits for Quantum Annealing

Quantum annealing is an optimization technique which potentially leverages quantum tunneling to enhance computational performance. Existing quantum annealers use superconducting flux qubits with short coherence times, limited primarily by the use of large persistent currents

The Flux Qubit Revisited

I_\mathrm{p}

Quantum coherent control of a hybrid superconducting circuit made with graphene-based van der Waals heterostructures.

. Here, we examine an alternative approach, using qubits with smaller

Enabling technologies for increased circuit complexity of high-coherence superconducting qubits: Part 1

I_\mathrm{p}

Gate-tunable Transmon Qubit made with Graphene/hBN Heterostructures

and longer coherence times. We demonstrate tunable coupling, a basic building block for quantum annealing, between two flux qubits with small (

Hardware Considerations for High-connectivity Quantum Annealers

\sim 50~\mathrm{nA}

Tunable XX-Coupling Between High Coherence Flux Qubits

) persistent currents. Furthermore, we characterize qubit coherence as a function of coupler setting and investigate the effect of flux noise in the coupler loop on qubit coherence. Our results provide insight into the available design space for next-generation quantum annealers with improved coherence.