Improving Quantum Hardware: Building New Superconducting Qubits and Couplers

An improved tunable coupling element for building networks of coupled rf-superconducting quantum interference device (rf-SQUID) flux qubits has been experimentally demonstrated. This new form of coupler, based on the compound Josephson-junction rf-SQUID, provides a sign and magnitude tunable mutual inductance between qubits with minimal nonlinear crosstalk from the coupler tuning parameter into the qubits. Quantitative agreement is shown between an effective one-dimensional model of the coupler's potential and measurements of the coupler persistent current and susceptibility.An improved tunable coupling element for building networks of coupled rf-superconducting quantum interference device (rf-SQUID) flux qubits has been experimentally demonstrated. This new form of coupler, based on the compound Josephson-junction rf-SQUID, provides a sign and magnitude tunable mutual inductance between qubits with minimal nonlinear crosstalk from the coupler tuning parameter into the qubits. Quantitative agreement is shown between an effective one-dimensional model of the coupler's potential and measurements of the coupler persistent current and susceptibility.

arXiv:0904.3784Physical Review BAug 20, 200995 citations

Design improvements for superconducting qubits

Matthias Steffen

Bulletin of the American Physical SocietyMar 18, 20100 citations

Designing and modeling of flexible and high-fidelity two-qubit gate and coupler for superconducting qubits

Zhongyi Jiang

Quantum computing holds great promise for both scientific discovery and commercial applications. Superconducting quantum systems have become one of the leading architectures for large-scale quantum computing. Towards realizing practical quantum computing, improving two-qubit gate fidelity is a crucial task. It is relevant for both near-term pre-fault-tolerant quantum computers and future fault-tolerant quantum computers. This dissertation aims to provide a comprehensive study of two-qubit gates in superconducting systems. The major focus is on improving gate fidelity via using different drive schemes and coupler designs. The dissertation contains two primary original contributions. First, a novel method for implementing continuous fSim gates is proposed and analyzed in detail. The fSim gate set is a family of gates that combines $i$ SWAP gate and CPHASE gate into one gate with variable rotation angles and conditional phase. This gate set is particularly interesting for quantum simulation of fermionic systems. Second, a theoretical framework for multi-mode couplers is developed. A multi-mode coupler design is proposed to enable fully localized decoupling among qubits and independent control of qubit-qubit interactions in different excitation subspaces. An example of two qubits coupled by a two-mode coupler is studied in detail. Building on the fSim gate theory and multi-mode coupler design, several future research directions are outlined. Pulse-level algorithms for simulating electronic systems are discussed as a key application of fSim gates. A three-mode coupler architecture is further introduced. In addition, the importance of incorporating open-system dynamics for accurate modeling of coupler behavior and gate performance is emphasized. Finally, a unified framework for modeling superconducting quantum processors is proposed, providing a systematic way to compare gate fidelities across theoretical approaches and ultimately guide improvements in quantum hardware performance.Quantum computing holds great promise for both scientific discovery and commercial applications. Superconducting quantum systems have become one of the leading architectures for large-scale quantum computing. Towards realizing practical quantum computing, improving two-qubit gate fidelity is a crucial task. It is relevant for both near-term pre-fault-tolerant quantum computers and future fault-tolerant quantum computers. This dissertation aims to provide a comprehensive study of two-qubit gates in superconducting systems. The major focus is on improving gate fidelity via using different drive schemes and coupler designs. The dissertation contains two primary original contributions. First, a novel method for implementing continuous fSim gates is proposed and analyzed in detail. The fSim gate set is a family of gates that combines $i$SWAP gate and CPHASE gate into one gate with variable rotation angles and conditional phase. This gate set is particularly interesting for quantum simulation of fermionic systems. Second, a theoretical framework for multi-mode couplers is developed. A multi-mode coupler design is proposed to enable fully localized decoupling among qubits and independent control of qubit-qubit interactions in different excitation subspaces. An example of two qubits coupled by a two-mode coupler is studied in detail. Building on the fSim gate theory and multi-mode coupler design, several future research directions are outlined. Pulse-level algorithms for simulating electronic systems are discussed as a key application of fSim gates. A three-mode coupler architecture is further introduced. In addition, the importance of incorporating open-system dynamics for accurate modeling of coupler behavior and gate performance is emphasized. Finally, a unified framework for modeling superconducting quantum processors is proposed, providing a systematic way to compare gate fidelities across theoretical approaches and ultimately guide improvements in quantum hardware performance.

Jan 1, 20260 citations

Quantum Engineering Design of Superconducting Qubits

David Ferguson, David Robinson Clarke, Daniel Weiss +1 more

Bulletin of the American Physical SocietyMar 4, 20190 citations

Coupler-Assisted Leakage Reduction for Scalable Quantum Error Correction with Superconducting Qubits

Xiaohan Yang, Ji Chu, Zechen Guo +21 more

Superconducting qubits are a promising platform for building fault-tolerant quantum computers, with recent achievement showing the suppression of logical error with increasing code size. However, leakage into noncomputational states, a common issue in practical quantum systems including superconducting circuits, introduces correlated errors that undermine quantum error correction (QEC) scalability. Here, we propose and demonstrate a leakage reduction scheme utilizing tunable couplers, a widely adopted ingredient in large-scale superconducting quantum processors. Leveraging the strong frequency tunability of the couplers and stray interaction between the couplers and readout resonators, we eliminate state leakage on the couplers, thus suppressing space-correlated errors caused by population propagation among the couplers. Assisted by the couplers, we further reduce leakage to higher qubit levels with high efficiency (98.1%) and low error rate on the computational subspace (0.58%), suppressing time-correlated errors during QEC cycles. The performance of our scheme demonstrates its potential as an indispensable building block for scalable QEC with superconducting qubits.Superconducting qubits are a promising platform for building fault-tolerant quantum computers, with recent achievement showing the suppression of logical error with increasing code size. However, leakage into noncomputational states, a common issue in practical quantum systems including superconducting circuits, introduces correlated errors that undermine quantum error correction (QEC) scalability. Here, we propose and demonstrate a leakage reduction scheme utilizing tunable couplers, a widely adopted ingredient in large-scale superconducting quantum processors. Leveraging the strong frequency tunability of the couplers and stray interaction between the couplers and readout resonators, we eliminate state leakage on the couplers, thus suppressing space-correlated errors caused by population propagation among the couplers. Assisted by the couplers, we further reduce leakage to higher qubit levels with high efficiency (98.1%) and low error rate on the computational subspace (0.58%), suppressing time-correlated errors during QEC cycles. The performance of our scheme demonstrates its potential as an indispensable building block for scalable QEC with superconducting qubits.

arXiv:2403.16155Physical Review LettersOct 24, 202421 citations

Progress and Challenges for Engineering Superconducting Qubits

William D. Oliver

Bulletin of the American Physical SocietyMar 5, 20180 citations

i

SWAP gate and CPHASE gate into one gate with variable rotation angles and conditional phase. This gate set is particularly interesting for quantum simulation of fermionic systems. Second, a theoretical framework for multi-mode couplers is developed. A multi-mode coupler design is proposed to enable fully localized decoupling among qubits and independent control of qubit-qubit interactions in different excitation subspaces. An example of two qubits coupled by a two-mode coupler is studied in detail. Building on the fSim gate theory and multi-mode coupler design, several future research directions are outlined. Pulse-level algorithms for simulating electronic systems are discussed as a key application of fSim gates. A three-mode coupler architecture is further introduced. In addition, the importance of incorporating open-system dynamics for accurate modeling of coupler behavior and gate performance is emphasized. Finally, a unified framework for modeling superconducting quantum processors is proposed, providing a systematic way to compare gate fidelities across theoretical approaches and ultimately guide improvements in quantum hardware performance.