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Surface Passivation of Niobium Superconducting Quantum Circuits Using Self-Assembled Monolayers
Mohammed Alghadeer1,2,3, Archan Banerjee2, Ahmed Hajr2
1Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran31261, Saudi Arabia.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|December 27, 2022
Summary
Superconducting resonators with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) significantly reduce coherent information loss in quantum circuits. This surface treatment enhances resonator quality factors, crucial for quantum information processing.
Area of Science:
- Quantum computing and circuit quantum electrodynamics.
- Materials science and surface engineering for superconducting devices.
Background:
- Superconducting coplanar waveguide (CPW) resonators are essential for reading and manipulating quantum states in artificial atoms.
- Amorphous thin-film defects and surface oxides degrade coherent information, limiting quantum processor performance.
- Understanding surface defect structures and loss mechanisms is critical for improving superconducting quantum devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, fabricate, and characterize niobium (Nb) CPW resonators with self-assembled monolayer (SAM) surface treatments.
- To investigate the efficacy of SAMs in mitigating oxide growth and reducing coherent loss in superconducting circuits.
- To correlate surface treatment effectiveness with measurable improvements in resonator quality factors.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Nb CPW resonators utilizing different surface treatments, including SAMs.
- Characterization of resonator performance, focusing on internal quality factors at single-photon power and low temperatures (100 mK).
- Surface analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Main Results:
- SAM-passivated resonators achieved internal quality factors exceeding 10^6.
- Surface characterization confirmed the efficiency of SAMs in preventing oxide formation.
- Experimental results were compared with numerical simulations to validate the observed improvements.
Conclusions:
- Self-assembled monolayers effectively passivate superconducting surfaces, mitigating oxide growth and coherent loss.
- Enhanced resonator quality factors demonstrate the potential of SAMs for advancing quantum circuit performance.
- This surface treatment offers a promising pathway for developing more robust and efficient quantum processors.
