As superconducting quantum processors scale to large qubit counts, unwanted microwave drive crosstalk becomes an important source of coherent errors. Here, we investigate the role ofparasitic coupling paths in the suppression of drive crosstalk in a processor with two fixed-frequency transmon qubits and a tunable coupler. To account for the many different coupling paths, we develop a detailed circuit model to capture the dependence of crosstalk on the coupler frequency. We experimentally demonstrate suppression of crosstalk, finding that the suppression does not originate solely from cancellation of the effective qubit-qubit coupling, but also is a result of interference between other coupling paths. Building on these insights, we show that drive crosstalk can be suppressed with the right choice of parasitic capacitances, which otherwise often are treated as unwanted design imperfections. Our results provide practical guidance for low-crosstalk device design of superconducting quantum processors and point toward a broader strategy in which parasitic coupling paths are engineered rather than simply minimized.
Decoherence due to radiative decay remains an important consideration in scaling superconducting quantum processors. We introduce a passive, interference-based methodology for suppressingradiative decay using only the intrinsic multi-mode structured environment of superconducting circuits. By taking into account the full electromagnetic mode-mode couplings within the device, we derive analytic conditions that enable destructive interference. These conditions are realized by introducing controlled geometric asymmetries — such as localized perturbations to the transmon capacitor — which increase mode hybridization and activate interference between multiple decay pathways. We validate this methodology using perturbation theory, full-wave electromagnetic simulations, and experimental measurements of a symmetry-broken transmon qubit with improved coherence times.
A major challenge for scaling up superconducting quantum computers is unwanted couplings between qubits, which lead to always-on ZZ couplings that impact gate fidelities by shiftingenergy levels conditional on qubit states. To tackle this challenge, we introduce analytical and numerical techniques, including a diagrammatic perturbation theory and a state-assignment algorithm, as well as a refined intuitive picture for the workings of the ZZ coupling. Together, these tools enable a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind the ZZ coupling and facilitate finding parameter regions of weak and strong ZZ coupling. We showcase these techniques for a system consisting of two fixed-frequency transmon qubits connected by a flux-tunable transmon coupler. There, we find three types of parameter regions with zero or near-zero ZZ coupling, all of which are accessible with current technology. We furthermore find regions of strong ZZ coupling nearby, which may be used to implement adiabatic controlled-phase gates. Our methods are applicable to many types of qubits and open up for the design of large-scale quantum computers with improved gate fidelities.