Surface Platinum Alloying for Passivation of Oxide Interfaces on Superconducting Niobium Films

  1. Ananya Chattaraj,
  2. Conan Weiland,
  3. Bruce Ravel,
  4. Kim Kisslinger,
  5. Sooyeon Hwang,
  6. Xiao Tong,
  7. Ajith Pattammattel,
  8. Andrew M. Kiss,
  9. Steven L. Hulbert,
  10. Aswin kumar Anbalagan,
  11. Andrew L. Walter,
  12. Peter V. Sushko,
  13. and Mingzhao Liu
Dielectric loss arising from two-level systems (TLS) at surfaces and interfaces remains a primary limitation to coherence in superconducting transmon qubits. Niobium (Nb), a widely
used material in superconducting quantum circuits, readily forms native oxides under ambient conditions, leading to lossy dielectric interfaces that degrade device performance. Here, a robust and scalable fabrication strategy is demonstrated for chemically stabilizing Nb surfaces and mitigating further oxidation, including protection of both surface and sidewall regions. High-purity Nb films were fabricated with bulk-like superconducting transition temperatures (Tc=9.30±0.10) K. We demonstrate that a thin Pt encapsulation layer, deposited after native oxide formation, can be transformed via thermal annealing into a Nb-Pt alloy at the surface. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyses confirm the formation of a chemically stable metallic alloy layer and its ability to suppress further oxide growth. Ab initio simulations elucidate the atomic-scale rearrangement and electronic structure evolution associated with Pt incorporation on native niobium oxide, providing insight into the stabilization mechanism of the alloyed surface. This approach offers a materials pathway for engineering chemically robust Nb interfaces, including sidewalls, toward higher-coherence superconducting qubit architectures.“