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arXiv:1505.03381 · Optics Express

Preventing and reversing vacuum-induced optical losses in high-finesse tantalum (V) oxide mirror coatings

Dorian A. Gangloff, Molu Shi, Tailin Wu, Alexei Bylinskii, Boris Braverman, Michael Gutierrez, Rosanna Nichols, Jun-Ru Li, Kai Aichholz, Marko Cetina, Leon Karpa, Branislav Jelenković, Isaac L. Chuang, Vladan Vuletić

Published Jul 1, 2015• 33 citations

Abstract

High-finesse optical cavities placed under vacuum are foundational platforms in quantum information science with photons and atoms. We study the vacuum-induced degradation of high-finesse optical cavities with mirror coatings composed of SiO₂-Ta₂O₅ dielectric stacks, and present methods to protect these coatings and to recover their initial low loss levels. For separate coatings with reflectivities centered at 370 nm and 422 nm, a vacuum-induced continuous increase in optical loss occurs if the surface-layer coating is made of Ta₂O₅, while it does not occur if it is made of SiO₂. The incurred optical loss can be reversed by filling the vacuum chamber with oxygen at atmospheric pressure, and the recovery rate can be strongly accelerated by continuous laser illumination at 422 nm. Both the degradation and the recovery processes depend strongly on temperature. We find that a 1 nm-thick layer of SiO₂ passivating the Ta₂O₅ surface layer is sufficient to reduce the degradation rate by more than a factor of 10, strongly supporting surface oxygen depletion as the primary degradation mechanism.

DOI: 10.1364/oe.23.018014

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High-finesse optical cavities placed under vacuum are foundational platforms in quantum information science with photons and atoms. We study the vacuum-induced degradation of high-finesse optical cavities with mirror coatings composed of SiO₂-Ta₂O₅ dielectric stacks, and present methods to protect these coatings and to recover their initial low loss levels. For separate coatings with reflectivities centered at 370 nm and 422 nm, a vacuum-induced continuous increase in optical loss occurs if the surface-layer coating is made of Ta₂O₅, while it does not occur if it is made of SiO₂. The incurred optical loss can be reversed by filling the vacuum chamber with oxygen at atmospheric pressure, and the recovery rate can be strongly accelerated by continuous laser illumination at 422 nm. Both the degradation and the recovery processes depend strongly on temperature. We find that a 1 nm-thick layer of SiO₂ passivating the Ta₂O₅ surface layer is sufficient to reduce the degradation rate by more than a factor of 10, strongly supporting surface oxygen depletion as the primary degradation mechanism.

We explore the stability of a high-finesse optical cavity at 493 nm in vacuum for cavity QED with barium ions. A high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity is built using mirrors with high-reflectivity (HR) coatings that are implemented by stacking multiple thin films of low-loss dielectrics on substrates. Applications of such HR mirrors in the near ultraviolet (UV) range have been hampered by degradation of coatings in vacuum. Here, we explore the degradation of mirrors with HR coatings at 493 nm in vacuum. We study both vacuum-induced and laser-induced effects on oxide-coated cavity mirrors by probing changes in cavity loss using cavity lifetime measurements. We investigate the role of circulating power in the rate of increase in cavity loss and demonstrate methods of reversal of cavity degradation. While we observe no degradation without long exposure or with short exposures at lower circulating powers, we find evidence of degradation on long exposure to high circulating powers. We discuss potential causes and conclude that laser-induced deposition is the likely cause while ruling out thermally activated processes due to laser-induced heating.

We explore the stability of a high-finesse optical cavity at 493 nm in vacuum for cavity QED with Barium ions. A high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity is built using mirrors with high-reflectivity (HR) coatings that are implemented by stacking multiple thin films of low-loss dielectrics on substrates. Applications of such HR mirrors in the near ultraviolet (UV) range have been hampered by degradation of coatings in vacuum. Here, we explore the degradation of mirrors with HR coatings at 493 nm in vacuum. We study both vacuum-induced and laser-induced effects on oxide-coated cavity mirrors by probing changes in cavity loss using cavity lifetime measurements. We investigate the role of circulating power in the rate of increase in cavity loss and demonstrate methods of reversal of cavity degradation. While we observe no degradation without long exposure or with short exposures at lower circulating powers, we find evidence of degradation on long exposure to high circulating powers. We discuss potential causes and conclude that laser-induced deposition is the likely cause while ruling out thermally activated processes due to laser-induced heating.

Transparent conductive oxides (TCO) enable confinement of charge-sensitive ions and Rydberg atoms proximal to dielectric structures including waveguides and photon detectors. However, optical loss precludes the use of TCOs within high-finesse optical micro-resonators. Here we characterize a ZnO-based TCO that markedly reduces optical absorption. At 1650\text{ nm} we observe a 22,000 finesse in a Fabry-Pérot optical cavity coated with a 30\text{ nm} ZnO layer. This is a 5000 times reduction relative to indium tin oxide (ITO) at this wavelength. The same ZnO film exhibits 0.01\text{ \ensuremathΩ\ensuremath{\cdot}cm} surface resistivity at DC. We anticipate a step change in cavity-QED systems incorporating ultra-low loss TCOs like ZnO.

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The presence of amorphous oxide layers can significantly affect the coherent time of superconducting qubits due to their high dielectric loss. Typically, the surface oxides of superconductor films exhibit lossy and unstable behavior when exposed to air. To increase the coherence time, it is essential for qubits to have stable and low dielectric loss oxides, either as barrier or passivation layers. In this study, we highlight the robust and stable nature of an amorphous tantalum oxide layer formed on α-Ta (110) film by employing chemical and structural analyses. Such kind of oxide layer forms in a self-limiting process on the surface of α-Ta (110) film in piranha solution, yielding stable thickness and steady chemical composition. Quarter-wavelength coplanar waveguide resonators are made to study the loss of this oxide. One resonator has a Qi of 3.0 × 106 in the single photon region. The Qi of most devices are higher than 2.0 × 106. Moreover, most of them are still over 1 × 106 even after exposed to air for months. Based on these findings, we propose an all-tantalum superconducting qubit utilizing such oxide as passivation layers, which possess low dielectric loss and improved stability.