I am going to post here all newly submitted articles on the arXiv related to superconducting circuits. If your article has been accidentally forgotten, feel free to contact me
15
Jan
2026
Topology-Aware Block Coordinate Descent for Qubit Frequency Calibration of Superconducting Quantum Processors
Pre-execution calibration is a major bottleneck for operating superconducting quantum processors, and qubit frequency allocation is especially challenging due to crosstalk-coupled objectives.
We establish that the widely-used Snake optimizer is mathematically equivalent to Block Coordinate Descent (BCD), providing a rigorous theoretical foundation for this calibration strategy. Building on this formalization, we present a topology-aware block ordering obtained by casting order selection as a Sequence-Dependent Traveling Salesman Problem (SD-TSP) and solving it efficiently with a nearest-neighbor heuristic. The SD-TSP cost reflects how a given block choice expands the reduced-circuit footprint required to evaluate the block-local objective, enabling orders that minimize per-epoch evaluation time. Under local crosstalk/bounded-degree assumptions, the method achieves linear complexity in qubit count per epoch, while retaining calibration quality. We formalize the calibration objective, clarify when reduced experiments are equivalent or approximate to the full objective, and analyze convergence of the resulting inexact BCD with noisy measurements. Simulations on multi-qubit models show that the proposed BCD-NNA ordering attains the same optimization accuracy at markedly lower runtime than graph-based heuristics (BFS, DFS) and random orders, and is robust to measurement noise and tolerant to moderate non-local crosstalk. These results provide a scalable, implementation-ready workflow for frequency calibration on NISQ-era processors.
Coherence Limits in Interference-Based cos(2φ) Qubits
We investigate the coherence properties of parity-protected cos(2φ) qubits based on interferences between two Josephson elements in a superconducting loop. We show that qubit implementations
of a cos(2φ) potential using a single loop, such as those employing semiconducting junctions, rhombus circuits, flowermon and KITE structures, can be described by the same Hamiltonian as two multi-harmonic Josephson junctions in a SQUID geometry. We find that, despite the parity protection arising from the suppression of single Cooper pair tunneling, there exists a fundamental trade-off between charge and flux noise dephasing channels. Using numerical simulations, we examine how relaxation and dephasing rates depend on external flux and circuit parameters, and we identify the best compromise for maximum coherence. With currently existing circuit parameters, the qubit lifetime T1 can exceed milliseconds while the dephasing time Tφ remains limited to only a few microseconds due to either flux or charge noise. Our findings establish practical limits on the coherence of this class of qubits and raise questions about the long-term potential of this approach.
Minimal-Energy Optimal Control of Tunable Two-Qubit Gates in Superconducting Platforms Using Continuous Dynamical Decoupling
We present a unified scheme for generating high-fidelity entangling gates in superconducting platforms by continuous dynamical decoupling (CDD) combined with variational minimal-energy
optimal control. During the CDD stage, we suppress residual couplings, calibration drifting, and quasistatic noise, resulting in a stable effective Hamiltonian that preserves the designed ZZ interaction intended for producing tunable couplers. In this stable SU(4) manifold, we calculate smooth low-energy single-quibt control functions using a variational geodesic optimization process that directly minimizes gate infidelity. We illustrate the methodology by applying it to CZ, CX, and generic engangling gates, achieving virtually unit fidelity and robustness under restricted single-qubit action, with experimentally realistic control fields. These results establish CDD-enhanced variational geometric optimal control as a practical and noise-resilient scheme for designing superconducting entangling gates.
12
Jan
2026
From coherent to fermionized microwave photons in a superconducting transmission line
We investigate superconducting transmission lines as a novel platform for realizing a quantum fluid of microwave photons in a propagating geometry. We predict that the strong photon-photon
interactions provided by the intrinsic nonlinearity of Josephson junctions are sufficient to enter a regime of strongly interacting photons for realistic parameters. A suitable tapering of the transmission line parameters allows for the adiabatic conversion of an incident coherent field into a Tonks-Girardeau gas of fermionized photons close to its ground state. Signatures of the strong correlations are anticipated in the correlation properties of the transmitted light.
08
Jan
2026
Low-loss Material for Infrared Protection of Cryogenic Quantum Applications
The fragile quantum states of low-temperature quantum applications require protection from infrared radiation caused by higher-temperature stages or other sources. We propose a material
system that can efficiently block radiation up to the optical range while transmitting photons at low gigahertz frequencies. It is based on the effect that incident photons are strongly scattered when their wavelength is comparable to the size of particles embedded in a weakly absorbing medium (Mie-scattering). The goal of this work is to tailor the absorption and transmission spectrum of an non-magnetic epoxy resin containing sapphire spheres by simulating its dependence on the size distribution. Additionally, we fabricate several material compositions, characterize them, as well as other materials, at optical, infrared, and gigahertz frequencies. In the infrared region (stop band) the attenuation of the Mie-scattering optimized material is high and comparable to that of other commonly used filter materials. At gigahertz frequencies (pass-band), the prototype filter exhibits a high transmission at millikelvin temperatures, with an insertion loss of less than 0.4dB below 10GHz.
SurgeQ: A Hybrid Framework for Ultra-Fast Quantum Processor Design and Crosstalk-Aware Circuit Execution
Executing quantum circuits on superconducting platforms requires balancing the trade-off between gate errors and crosstalk. To address this, we introduce SurgeQ, a hardware-software
co-design strategy consisting of a design phase and an execution phase, to achieve accelerated circuit execution and improve overall program fidelity. SurgeQ employs coupling-strengthened, faster two-qubit gates while mitigating their increased crosstalk through a tailored scheduling strategy. With detailed consideration of composite noise models, we establish a systematic evaluation pipeline to identify the optimal coupling strength. Evaluations on a comprehensive suite of real-world benchmarks show that SurgeQ generally achieves higher fidelity than up-to-date baselines, and remains effective in combating exponential fidelity decay, achieving up to a million-fold improvement in large-scale circuits.
Fast, high-fidelity Transmon readout with intrinsic Purcell protection via nonperturbative cross-Kerr coupling
Dispersive readout of superconducting qubits relies on a transverse capacitive coupling that hybridizes the qubit with the readout resonator, subjecting the qubit to Purcell decay and
measurement-induced state transitions (MIST). Despite the widespread use of Purcell filters to suppress qubit decay and near-quantum-limited amplifiers, dispersive readout often lags behind single- and two-qubit gates in both speed and fidelity. Here, we experimentally demonstrate junction readout, a simple readout architecture that realizes a strong qubit-resonator cross-Kerr interaction without relying on a transverse coupling. This interaction is achieved by coupling a transmon qubit to its readout resonator through both a capacitance and a Josephson junction. By varying the qubit frequency, we show that this hybrid coupling provides intrinsic Purcell protection and enhanced resilience to MIST, enabling readout at high photon numbers. While junction readout is compatible with conventional linear measurement, in this work we exploit the nonlinear coupling to intentionally engineer a large Kerr nonlinearity in the resonator, enabling bifurcation-based readout. Using this approach, we achieve a 99.4 % assignment fidelity with a 68 ns integration time and a 98.4 % QND fidelity without an external Purcell filter or a near-quantum-limited amplifier. These results establish the junction readout architecture with bifurcation-based readout as a scalable and practical alternative to dispersive readout, enabling fast, high-fidelity qubit measurement with reduced hardware overhead.
Scalable Suppression of XY Crosstalk by Pulse-Level Control in Superconducting Quantum Processors
As superconducting quantum processors continue to scale, high-performance quantum control becomes increasingly critical. In densely integrated architectures, unwanted interactions between
nearby qubits give rise to crosstalk errors that limit operational performance. In particular, direct exchange-type (XY) interactions are typically minimized by designing large frequency detunings between neighboring qubits at the hardware level. However, frequency crowding in large-scale systems ultimately restricts the achievable frequency separation. While such XY coupling facilitates entangling gate operations, its residual presence poses a key challenge during single-qubit controls. Here, we propose a scalable pulse-level control framework, incorporating frequency modulation (FM) and dynamical decoupling (DD), to suppress XY crosstalk errors. This framework operates independently of coupling strengths, reducing calibration overhead and naturally supporting multi-qubit connectivity. Numerical simulations show orders-of-magnitude reductions in infidelity for both idle and single-qubit gates in a two-qubit system. We further validate scalability in a five-qubit layout, where crosstalk between a central qubit and four neighbors is simultaneously suppressed. Our crosstalk suppression framework provides a practical route toward high-fidelity operation in dense superconducting architectures.
07
Jan
2026
Exact Multimode Quantization of Superconducting Circuits via Boundary Admittance
We show that the Schur complement of the nodal admittance matrix, which reduces a multiport electromagnetic environment to the driving-point admittance Yin(s) at the Josephson junction,
naturally leads to an eigenvalue-dependent boundary condition determining the dressed mode spectrum. This identification provides a four-step quantization procedure: (i) compute or measure Yin(s), (ii) solve the boundary condition sYin(s)+1/LJ=0 for dressed frequencies, (iii) synthesize an equivalent passive network, (iv) quantize with the full cosine nonlinearity retained. Within passive lumped-element circuit theory, we prove that junction participation decays as, we prove that junction participation decays as O(ω−1n) at high frequencies when the junction port has finite shunt capacitance, ensuring ultraviolet convergence of perturbative sums without imposed cutoffs. The standard circuit QED parameters, coupling strength g, anharmonicity α, and dispersive shift χ, emerge as controlled limits with explicit validity conditions.
Surface Optimization of Aluminum Resonators for Robust Quantum Device Fabrication
Aluminum remains the central material for superconducting qubits, and considerable effort has been devoted to optimizing its deposition and patterning for quantum devices. However,
while post-processing of Nb- and Ta-based resonators has been widely explored, primarily focusing on oxide removal using buffered oxide etch (BOE), post-treatment strategies for Al resonators remain underdeveloped. This challenge becomes particularly relevant for industry-scale fabrication with multichip bonding, where delays between sample preparation and cooldown require surface treatments that preserve low dielectric loss during extended exposure to ambient conditions. In this work, we investigate surface modification approaches for Al resonators subjected to a 24-hour delay prior to cryogenic measurement. Passivation using self-limiting oxygen and fluorine chemistries was evaluated utilizing different plasma processes. Remote oxygen plasma treatment reduced dielectric losses, in contrast to direct plasma, likely due to additional ashing of residual resist despite the formation of a thicker oxide layer on both Si and Al surfaces. A fluorine-based plasma process was developed that passivated the Al surface with fluorine for subsequent BOE treatment. However, increasing fluorine incorporation in the aluminum oxide correlated with higher loss, identifying fluorine as an unsuitable passivation material for Al resonators. Finally, selective oxide removal using HF vapor and phosphoric acid was assessed for surface preparation. HF vapor selectively etched SiO2 while preserving Al2O3, whereas phosphoric acid exhibited the opposite selectivity. Sequential application of both etches yielded dielectric losses as low as δLP=5.2×10−7 (Qi≈1.9M) in the single photon regime, demonstrating a promising pathway for robust Al-based resonator fabrication.