Dynamical decoupling and dephasing in interacting two-level systems
We implement dynamical decoupling techniques to mitigate noise and enhance
the lifetime of an entangled state that is formed in a superconducting flux
qubit coupled to a microscopic two-level system. By rapidly changing the
qubit’s transition frequency relative to the two-level system, we realize a
refocusing pulse that reduces dephasing due to fluctuations in the transition
frequencies, thereby improving the coherence time of the entangled state. The
coupling coherence is further enhanced when applying multiple refocusing
pulses, in agreement with our $1/f$ noise model. The results are applicable to
any two-qubit system with transverse coupling, and they highlight the potential
of decoupling techniques for improving two-qubit gate fidelities, an essential
prerequisite for implementing fault-tolerant quantum computing.