Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Applied Physics Letters

Fast, universal scheme for calibrating microwave crosstalk in superconducting circuits

Xiaoyan Yang, Hai-Feng Zhang, Lei Du, Hao-Ran Tao, Liang-Liang Guo, Tian-Le Wang, Zhi-Long Jia, Weicheng Kong, Zhao‐Yun Chen, Peng Duan, Guo‐Ping Guo

Published Jul 22, 2024• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A challenge in building large-scale superconducting quantum processors is the precise control and manipulation of the qubit state. However, the crosstalk between the microwave control lines impedes the parallel execution of high-fidelity digital and analog quantum operations. Here, we propose and demonstrate a universal compensation protocol for calibrating the microwave signal crosstalk. We also introduce amplified error sequences to optimize accuracy. Furthermore, we show a definitive improvement in parallel gate operations with crosstalk cancellation, demonstrating the technique's effectiveness. This work paves the way for superconducting hardware that features the automated calibration of microwave crosstalk, leading to enhanced fidelities in multiqubit circuits.

DOI
10.1063/5.0211159

Related papers

Canceling microwave crosstalk with fixed-frequency qubits

Wuerkaixi Nuerbolati, Zhikun Han, Ji Chu +5 more

Scalable quantum information processing requires that modular gate operations can be executed in parallel. The presence of crosstalk decreases the individual addressability, causing erroneous results during simultaneous operations. For superconducting qubits which operate in the microwave regime, electromagnetic isolation is often limited due to design constraints, leading to signal crosstalk that can deteriorate the quality of simultaneous gate operations. Here, we propose and demonstrate a method based on the alternative-current Stark effect for calibrating the microwave signal crosstalk. The method is suitable for processors based on fixed-frequency qubits, which are known for high coherence and simple control. The optimal compensation parameters can be reliably identified from a well-defined interference pattern. We implement the method on an array of seven superconducting qubits and show its effectiveness in removing the majority of crosstalk errors.

arXiv:2204.02946•Applied Physics Letters•Apr 25, 2022•22 citations

Calibration and cancellation of microwave crosstalk in superconducting circuits

Haisheng 海生 Yan 严, Shoukuan 寿宽 Zhao 赵, Zhongcheng Xiang +8 more

The precise control and manipulation of the qubit state are vital for quantum simulation and quantum computation. In superconducting circuits, one notorious error comes from the crosstalk of microwave signals applied to different qubit control lines. In this work, we present a method for the calibration and cancellation of the microwave crosstalk and experimentally demonstrate its effectiveness in a superconducting 10-qubit chain. The method is convenient and efficient especially for calibrating the microwave crosstalk with large amplitudes and variations, which can be performed successively to reduce the microwave crosstalk by two to three orders. The qubit chain with microwave driving is governed by one-dimensional (1D) Bose–Hubbard model in transverse field, which is nonintegrable and shows thermalization behaviour during the time evolution from certain initial states. Such thermalization process is observed with excellent agreement between experiment and theory further confirming the effective global cancellation of the microwave crosstalk.

Chinese Physics B•Jun 7, 2023•5 citations

Mitigating crosstalk errors for simultaneous single-qubit gates on a superconducting quantum processor

Jaap J. Wesdorp, Eric Hyyppä, Joona Andersson +61 more

Single-qubit gates on superconducting quantum processors are typically implemented using microwave pulses applied through dedicated control lines. However, these microwave pulses may also drive other qubits due to crosstalk arising from capacitive coupling and wavefunction overlap in systems with closely spaced transition frequencies. Crosstalk and frequency crowding increase errors during simultaneous single-qubit operations relative to isolated gates, thus forming a major bottleneck for scaling superconducting quantum processors. In this work, we combine model-based qubit frequency optimization with pulse shaping to demonstrate crosstalk error mitigation in single-qubit gates on a 49-qubit superconducting quantum processor. We introduce and experimentally verify an analytical model of simultaneous single-qubit gate error caused by microwave crosstalk that depends on a given pulse shape. By employing a model-based optimization strategy of qubit frequencies, we minimize the crosstalk-induced error across the processor and achieve a mean simultaneous single-qubit gate fidelity of 99.96% for a 16-ns gate duration, approaching the mean individual gate fidelity. To further reduce the simultaneous error and required qubit frequency bandwidth on high-crosstalk qubit pairs, we introduce a crosstalk transition suppression (CTS) pulse shaping technique that minimizes the spectral energy around transitions inducing leakage and crosstalk errors. Finally, we combine CTS with model-based frequency optimization across the device and experimentally show a systematic reduction in the required qubit frequency bandwidth for high-fidelity simultaneous gates, supported by simulations of systems with up to 1000 qubits. By alleviating constraints on qubit frequency bandwidth for parallel single-qubit operations, this work represents an important step for scaling towards larger quantum processors.

quant-pharXiv:2603.11018•Mar 12, 2026•0 citations

Control and mitigation of microwave crosstalk effect with superconducting qubits

Ruixia Wang, Peng Zhao, Yirong Jin +1 more

Improving gate performance is vital for scalable quantum computing. Universal quantum computing also requires gate fidelity to reach a high level. For a superconducting quantum processor, which operates in the microwave band, the single-qubit gates are usually realized with microwave driving. The crosstalk between microwave pulses is a non-negligible error source. In this article, we propose an error mitigation scheme to address this crosstalk issue for single-qubit gates. There are three steps in our method. First, by controlling the detuning between qubits, the microwave induced classical crosstalk error can be constrained within the computational subspace. Second, by applying the general decomposition procedure, the arbitrary single-qubit gate can be decomposed as a sequence of X and virtual Z gates. Finally, by optimizing the parameters in virtual Z gates, the error constrained in the computational space can be corrected. Using our method, no additional compensation signals are needed, arbitrary single-qubit gate time will not be prolonged, and the circuit depth containing simultaneous single-qubit gates will also not increase. The simulation results show that, in a specific regime of qubit–qubit detuning, the infidelities of simultaneous single-qubit gates can be as low as that without microwave crosstalk.

arXiv:2207.08416•Applied Physics Letters•Oct 10, 2022•16 citations

Mitigation of microwave crosstalk with parameterized single-qubit gate in superconducting quantum circuits

Zhihu Yang, Ruixia Wang, Ziting Wang +6 more

In superconducting qubit systems, microwave crosstalk among the qubit control lines is a prominent source of errors for gate operations, particularly when implemented simultaneously in a multiqubit system. In this work, we present an experimental study of crosstalk mitigation for the case of single-qubit gate operation, which involves the universal U3 gate decomposition into two Xπ/2 gates and three virtual Z gates. We demonstrate that by optimizing the virtual Z gate parameters, the crosstalk can be effectively mitigated, with the single-qubit gate fidelity recovered to the level comparable to that in the absence of crosstalk.

Applied Physics Letters•May 20, 2024•6 citations

Learning-Based Calibration of Flux Crosstalk in Transmon Qubit Arrays

Cora N. Barrett, Amir H. Karamlou, Sarah E. Muschinske +13 more

Superconducting quantum processors comprising flux-tunable data and coupler qubits are a promising platform for quantum computation. However, magnetic flux crosstalk between the flux-control lines and the constituent qubits impedes precision control of qubit frequencies, presenting a challenge to scaling this platform. In order to implement high-fidelity digital and analog quantum operations, one must characterize the flux crosstalk and compensate for it. In this work, we introduce a learning-based calibration protocol and demonstrate its experimental performance by calibrating an array of 16 flux-tunable transmon qubits. To demonstrate the extensibility of our protocol, we simulate the crosstalk matrix learning procedure for larger arrays of transmon qubits. We observe an empirically linear scaling in calibration time with system size while maintaining a median qubit frequency error below 300 kHz.

arXiv:2303.03347•Physical Review Applied•Aug 28, 2023•21 citations
A challenge in building large-scale superconducting quantum processors is the precise control and manipulation of the qubit state. However, the crosstalk between the microwave control lines impedes the parallel execution of high-fidelity digital and analog quantum operations. Here, we propose and demonstrate a universal compensation protocol for calibrating the microwave signal crosstalk. We also introduce amplified error sequences to optimize accuracy. Furthermore, we show a definitive improvement in parallel gate operations with crosstalk cancellation, demonstrating the technique's effectiveness. This work paves the way for superconducting hardware that features the automated calibration of microwave crosstalk, leading to enhanced fidelities in multiqubit circuits.
Scalable quantum information processing requires that modular gate operations can be executed in parallel. The presence of crosstalk decreases the individual addressability, causing erroneous results during simultaneous operations. For superconducting qubits which operate in the microwave regime, electromagnetic isolation is often limited due to design constraints, leading to signal crosstalk that can deteriorate the quality of simultaneous gate operations. Here, we propose and demonstrate a method based on the alternative-current Stark effect for calibrating the microwave signal crosstalk. The method is suitable for processors based on fixed-frequency qubits, which are known for high coherence and simple control. The optimal compensation parameters can be reliably identified from a well-defined interference pattern. We implement the method on an array of seven superconducting qubits and show its effectiveness in removing the majority of crosstalk errors.
The precise control and manipulation of the qubit state are vital for quantum simulation and quantum computation. In superconducting circuits, one notorious error comes from the crosstalk of microwave signals applied to different qubit control lines. In this work, we present a method for the calibration and cancellation of the microwave crosstalk and experimentally demonstrate its effectiveness in a superconducting 10-qubit chain. The method is convenient and efficient especially for calibrating the microwave crosstalk with large amplitudes and variations, which can be performed successively to reduce the microwave crosstalk by two to three orders. The qubit chain with microwave driving is governed by one-dimensional (1D) Bose–Hubbard model in transverse field, which is nonintegrable and shows thermalization behaviour during the time evolution from certain initial states. Such thermalization process is observed with excellent agreement between experiment and theory further confirming the effective global cancellation of the microwave crosstalk.
Single-qubit gates on superconducting quantum processors are typically implemented using microwave pulses applied through dedicated control lines. However, these microwave pulses may also drive other qubits due to crosstalk arising from capacitive coupling and wavefunction overlap in systems with closely spaced transition frequencies. Crosstalk and frequency crowding increase errors during simultaneous single-qubit operations relative to isolated gates, thus forming a major bottleneck for scaling superconducting quantum processors. In this work, we combine model-based qubit frequency optimization with pulse shaping to demonstrate crosstalk error mitigation in single-qubit gates on a 49-qubit superconducting quantum processor. We introduce and experimentally verify an analytical model of simultaneous single-qubit gate error caused by microwave crosstalk that depends on a given pulse shape. By employing a model-based optimization strategy of qubit frequencies, we minimize the crosstalk-induced error across the processor and achieve a mean simultaneous single-qubit gate fidelity of 99.96% for a 16-ns gate duration, approaching the mean individual gate fidelity. To further reduce the simultaneous error and required qubit frequency bandwidth on high-crosstalk qubit pairs, we introduce a crosstalk transition suppression (CTS) pulse shaping technique that minimizes the spectral energy around transitions inducing leakage and crosstalk errors. Finally, we combine CTS with model-based frequency optimization across the device and experimentally show a systematic reduction in the required qubit frequency bandwidth for high-fidelity simultaneous gates, supported by simulations of systems with up to 1000 qubits. By alleviating constraints on qubit frequency bandwidth for parallel single-qubit operations, this work represents an important step for scaling towards larger quantum processors.
Improving gate performance is vital for scalable quantum computing. Universal quantum computing also requires gate fidelity to reach a high level. For a superconducting quantum processor, which operates in the microwave band, the single-qubit gates are usually realized with microwave driving. The crosstalk between microwave pulses is a non-negligible error source. In this article, we propose an error mitigation scheme to address this crosstalk issue for single-qubit gates. There are three steps in our method. First, by controlling the detuning between qubits, the microwave induced classical crosstalk error can be constrained within the computational subspace. Second, by applying the general decomposition procedure, the arbitrary single-qubit gate can be decomposed as a sequence of X and virtual Z gates. Finally, by optimizing the parameters in virtual Z gates, the error constrained in the computational space can be corrected. Using our method, no additional compensation signals are needed, arbitrary single-qubit gate time will not be prolonged, and the circuit depth containing simultaneous single-qubit gates will also not increase. The simulation results show that, in a specific regime of qubit–qubit detuning, the infidelities of simultaneous single-qubit gates can be as low as that without microwave crosstalk.
In superconducting qubit systems, microwave crosstalk among the qubit control lines is a prominent source of errors for gate operations, particularly when implemented simultaneously in a multiqubit system. In this work, we present an experimental study of crosstalk mitigation for the case of single-qubit gate operation, which involves the universal U3 gate decomposition into two Xπ/2 gates and three virtual Z gates. We demonstrate that by optimizing the virtual Z gate parameters, the crosstalk can be effectively mitigated, with the single-qubit gate fidelity recovered to the level comparable to that in the absence of crosstalk.
Superconducting quantum processors comprising flux-tunable data and coupler qubits are a promising platform for quantum computation. However, magnetic flux crosstalk between the flux-control lines and the constituent qubits impedes precision control of qubit frequencies, presenting a challenge to scaling this platform. In order to implement high-fidelity digital and analog quantum operations, one must characterize the flux crosstalk and compensate for it. In this work, we introduce a learning-based calibration protocol and demonstrate its experimental performance by calibrating an array of 16 flux-tunable transmon qubits. To demonstrate the extensibility of our protocol, we simulate the crosstalk matrix learning procedure for larger arrays of transmon qubits. We observe an empirically linear scaling in calibration time with system size while maintaining a median qubit frequency error below 300 kHz.