arXiv subjects

C. M. F. Schneider

Publications and source records attributed to C. M. F. Schneider.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

High-Fidelity Entangled States in a Connectivity-Four Fluxonium Quantum Processor

A central challenge in fluxonium-based quantum processors is the extension of the qubit connectivity to two-dimensional lattices compatible with quantum code-error correction. Here, we present a fluxonium quantum processor that employs lumped-element resonator couplers which realizes, for the first time, a connectivity-four unit cell with suppressed parasitic interactions. We achieve parallel single-qubit gate fidelities exceeding 99.9 % in simultaneous randomized benchmarking experiments, while maintaining residual static ZZ interactions below 1 kHz across all coupled qubit pairs. We implement resonator-induced phase (RIP) gates and benchmark two-qubit gate fidelities exceeding 99 % using interleaved randomized benchmarking. To cancel spectator errors observed in two-qubit operations, we implement a refocused RIP gate, recovering coherent control in the presence of multi-qubit connectivity. Furthermore, we prepare Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states of up to five qubits with a tomographic fidelity of 90 %, verifying multi-qubit entanglement within the unit cell. These results establish the fluxonium-resonator-fluxonium architecture as a viable approach to realizing densely connected fluxonium processors and provide a scalable path toward quantum error-correction-compatible processor architectures.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Niobium Air Bridges as Low-Loss Components for Superconducting Quantum Hardware

Scaling up superconducting quantum processors requires a high routing density for readout and control lines, relying on low-loss interconnects to maintain design flexibility and device performance. We propose and demonstrate a universal subtractive fabrication process for air bridges based on an aluminum hard mask and niobium as the superconducting film. Using this technology, we fabricate superconducting CPW resonators incorporating multiple niobium air bridges in and across their center conductors. Through rigorous cleaning methods, we achieve mean internal quality factors in the single-photon limit exceeding $Q_{\mathrm{int}} = 8.2 \times 10^6$. Notably, the loss per air bridge remains below the detection threshold of the resonators. Due to the larger superconducting energy gap of niobium compared to conventional aluminum air bridges, our approach enables stable performance at elevated temperatures and magnetic fields, which we experimentally confirm in temperatures up to 3.9 K and in a magnetic field of up to 1.60 T. Additionally, we utilize air bridges to realize low-loss vacuum-gap capacitors and demonstrate their successful integration into transmon qubits by achieving median qubit lifetimes of $T_1 = 51.6 \,μ\text{s}$.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Kerr enhanced optomechanical cooling in the unresolved sideband regime

Dynamical backaction cooling has been demonstrated to be a successful method for achieving the motional quantum ground state of a mechanical oscillator in the resolved sideband regime, where the mechanical frequency is significantly larger than the cavity decay rate. Nevertheless, as mechanical systems increase in size, their frequencies naturally decrease, thus bringing them into the unresolved sideband regime, where the effectiveness of the sideband cooling approach decreases. Here, we will demonstrate, however, that this cooling technique in the unresolved sideband regime can be significantly enhanced by utilizing a nonlinear cavity as shown in the experimental work of Zoepfl et. al. (PRL, 2023). The above arises due to the increased asymmetry between the cooling and heating processes, thereby improving the cooling efficiency.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Kerr enhanced backaction cooling in magnetomechanics

Optomechanics is a prime example of light matter interaction, where photons directly couple to phonons, allowing to precisely control and measure the state of a mechanical object. This makes it a very appealing platform for testing fundamental physics or for sensing applications. Usually, such mechanical oscillators are in highly excited thermal states and require cooling to the mechanical ground state for quantum applications, which is often accomplished by utilising optomechanical backaction. However, while massive mechanical oscillators are desirable for many tasks, their frequency usually decreases below the cavity linewidth, significantly limiting the methods that can be used to efficiently cool. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach relying on an intrinsically nonlinear cavity to backaction-cool a low frequency mechanical oscillator. We experimentally demonstrate outperforming an identical, but linear, system by more than one order of magnitude. Furthermore, our theory predicts that with this approach we can also surpass the standard cooling limit of a linear system. By exploiting a nonlinear cavity, our approach enables efficient cooling of a wider range of optomechanical systems, opening new opportunities for fundamental tests and sensing.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Single-photon cooling in microwave magneto-mechanics

Cavity optomechanics, where photons are coupled to mechanical motion, provides the tools to control mechanical motion near the fundamental quantum limits. Reaching single-photon strong coupling would allow to prepare the mechanical resonator in non-Gaussian quantum states. Preparing massive mechanical resonators in such states is of particular interest for testing the boundaries of quantum mechanics. This goal remains however challenging due to the small optomechanical couplings usually achieved with massive devices. Here we demonstrate a novel approach where a mechanical resonator is magnetically coupled to a microwave cavity. We measure a single-photon coupling of $g_0/2 π\sim 3$ kHz, an improvement of one order of magnitude over current microwave optomechanical systems. At this coupling we measure a large single-photon cooperativity with $C_0 \gtrsim 10$, an important step to reach single-photon strong coupling. Such a strong interaction allows us to cool the massive mechanical resonator to a third of its steady state phonon population with less than two photons in the microwave cavity. Beyond tests for quantum foundations, our approach is also well suited as a quantum sensor or a microwave to optical transducer.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Characterization of low loss microstrip resonators as a building block for circuit QED in a 3D waveguide

Here we present the microwave characterization of microstrip resonators made from aluminum and niobium inside a 3D microwave waveguide. In the low temperature, low power limit internal quality factors of up to one million were reached. We found a good agreement to models predicting conductive losses and losses to two level systems for increasing temperature. The setup presented here is appealing for testing materials and structures, as it is free of wire bonds and offers a well controlled microwave environment. In combination with transmon qubits, these resonators serve as a building block for a novel circuit QED architecture inside a rectangular waveguide.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Non-Markovian Effects of Two-Level Systems in a Niobium Coaxial Resonator with a Single-Photon Lifetime of 10 ms

Understanding and mitigating loss channels due to two-level systems (TLS) is one of the main cornerstones in the quest of realizing long photon lifetimes in superconducting quantum circuits. Typically, the TLS to which a circuit couples are modeled as a large bath without any coherence. Here we demonstrate that the coherence of TLS has to be considered to accurately describe the ring-down dynamics of a coaxial quarter-wave resonator with an internal quality factor of $0.5\times10^9$ at the single-photon level. The transient analysis reveals effective non-Markovian dynamics of the combined TLS and cavity system, which we can accurately fit by introducing a comprehensive TLS model. The fit returns an average coherence time of around $T_2^*\approx0.3\,\mathrm{μs}$ for a total of $N\approx10^{9}$ TLS with power-law distributed coupling strengths. Despite the shortly coherent TLS excitations, we observe long-term effects on the cavity decay due to coherent elastic scattering between the resonator field and the TLS. Moreover, this model provides an accurate prediction of the internal quality factor's temperature dependence.

quant-ph↗