Correlating aluminum layer deposition rates, Josephson junction microstructure, and superconducting qubits’ performance

Oh, Jin-Su; Kopas, Cameron J.; Cansizoglu, Hilal; Mutus, Joshua Y.; Yadavalli, Kameshwar; Kim, Tae-Hoon; Kramer, Matt; King, Alexander H.; Zhou, Lin

doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120631

Correlating aluminum layer deposition rates, Josephson junction microstructure, and superconducting qubits’ performance

Journal Article · Fri Dec 06 04:00:00 EST 2024 · Acta Materialia

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120631· OSTI ID:2481277

^[1]; ^[2]; Cansizoglu, Hilal ^[2]; Mutus, Joshua Y. ^[2]; ^[2]; Kim, Tae-Hoon ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[3]; ^[4]

Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA (United States)
Rigetti Computing, Berkeley, CA (United States)
Iowa State University, Ames, IA (United States)
Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA (United States); Iowa State University, Ames, IA (United States)

An ultra-thin aluminum oxide layer is a key component for Josephson junctions (JJ) in superconducting quantum bits (qubits). This layer serves as a barrier layer for Cooper pairs tunneling between the superconducting electrodes and significantly influences the overall performance of the junction. In this study, we investigate the impact of aluminum deposition rates on the microstructure and chemical variation of the aluminum oxide layer, as well as the device's yields and qubits’ lifetimes. Surprisingly, although the oxide layer roughness and thickness variation improve noticeably with an increasing Al deposition rate from 0.5 Å/s to 5 Å/s, the qubit's coherence time is almost unchanged. We attribute this to the fact that Cooper pairs tunnel only through the thinnest region of the barrier. Additionally, we revealed a stress-induced grain boundary sliding short-circuit failure mechanism in the JJ. Our discovery provides a vital understanding of oxide microstructure and JJ functionality, which are critical for improving the coherence time of superconducting qubits.

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Research Organization:: Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

DOE Contract Number:: AC02-07CH11358; AC02-07CH11359

OSTI ID:: 2481277

Report Number(s):: AL-J--681

Journal Information:: Acta Materialia, Journal Name: Acta Materialia Vol. 284; ISSN 1359-6454

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Correlating aluminum layer deposition rates, Josephson junction microstructure, and superconducting qubits’ performance

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