Fast and high-fidelity qubit measurement plays a key role in quantum error correction. In superconducting qubits, measurement is typically performed using a resonant microwave drive on a readout resonator dispersively coupled to the qubit. Shorter measurement times require larger numbers of photons populating the readout resonator, which ultimately leads to undesired measurementinduced state transitions (MIST) of the qubit. MIST can be particularly problematic because these transitions often leave the qubit in a high energy state, and the MIST locations in readout parameter space drift as a function of qubit offset charge. In transmon qubits, these drifts have been avoided using very large qubit-resonator detunings or dedicated offset charge biases. In this work, we take an alternative approach and add an inductive shunt to the transmon to eliminate the offset charge dependence and stabilize the MIST. We experimentally characterize MIST in several different inductively-shunted transmons, in agreement with quantum and semiclassical models for MIST. These results extend to other inductively-shunted qubits.
A key challenge in achieving scalable fault tolerance in superconducting quantum processors is readout fidelity, which lags behind one- and two-qubit gate fidelity. A major limitation in improving qubit readout is measurement-induced transitions, also referred to as qubit ionization, caused by multiphoton qubit-resonator excitation occurring at specific photon numbers. Since ionization can involve highly excited states, it has been predicted that in transmons-the most widely used superconducting qubit-the photon number at which measurement-induced transitions occur is gate-charge dependent. This dependence is expected to persist deep in the transmon regime where the qubit frequency is gate-charge insensitive. We experimentally confirm this prediction by characterizing measurement-induced transitions with increasing resonator photon population while actively calibrating the transmon's gate charge. Furthermore, because highly excited states are involved, achieving quantitative agreement between theory and experiment requires accounting for higher-order harmonics in the transmon Hamiltonian.
High-fidelity and rapid qubit readout is essential for superconducting quantum processors, typically realized through the quantum non-demolition (QND) dispersive interaction within a qubit-resonator architecture. However, the achievable readout speed and fidelity are fundamentally limited by measurement-induced state transitions (MIST). For a transmon qubit, MIST is highly sensitive to the offset charge
ng due to the charge dispersion of its higher-lying energy levels. In this work, we systematically investigate
ng-dependent MIST dynamics governed by the diabaticity and symmetry of pulse shaping within a charge-sensitive transmon architecture. We engineer fast-load and fast-clear pulses that effectively suppress resonator photon overshoots, thereby demonstrating a highly practical strategy to mitigate MIST without requiring complex waveforms or real-time feedback. Utilizing active gate-voltage control and rapid feedback, the measurement-induced transition probability is precisely mapped against
ng and the steady-state resonator photon number, exhibiting strong agreement with numerical Floquet branch analysis. Ultimately, we evaluate the
ng-averaged total error probabilities for both readout and post-readout stages, verifying that a straightforward three-step pulse scheme consistently minimizes overall readout errors. Within the framework of large-scale superconducting quantum processors, this practical, hardware-free approach inherently offers a better trade-off between the readout signal-to-noise ratio and QND preservation.