Department of Physics

The Impact of Ionizing Radiation on Superconducting Qubits

Superconducting qubits are among the most promising technologies to build a universal quantum computer.  A key limitation is their short coherence time, which is due in part to excess quasiparticle populations universally observed in superconducting devices. We have recently demonstrated that ionizing radiation increases the decoherence rate in superconducting qubits, and, if recent trends in improving coherence times continue, typical ambient background radiation levels may become the most significant source of decoherence within the next decade. In this seminar I will provide details on the initial measurement and look forward to new research into how to mitigate or exploit these effects.