In quantum optics and related fields, cavity quantum electrodynamics provides a powerful framework for modeling the low-energy properties of bound charges coupled to electromagneticfields, using a minimal set of atomic levels and isolated photonic modes. Here, we develop a similar framework for non-Abelian gauge theories, focusing on the pure-gauge dynamics of SU(2) fields as the conceptually simplest example. Starting from the corresponding Yang-Mills Lagrangian, we derive an SU(2) cavity Hamiltonian in the Coulomb gauge, represented in terms of only three localized bosonic modes. Unlike its non-interacting electromagnetic counterpart, this model exhibits a nontrivial excitation spectrum featuring bound composite gauge particles (‚glueballs‘) as the lowest-energy configurations. We extend this framework to one-dimensional arrays of coupled SU(2) cavities and discuss the driven excitation of a glueball condensate and the clustering of multi-glueball states as two elementary interaction-induced processes in these models. These examples offer a glimpse into the multitude of novel many-body phenomena that arise within this cavity SU(2) framework and we show how this physics at the interface between particle physics and quantum optics can be experimentally explored using state-of-the-art superconducting quantum circuits.
Superconducting circuits have emerged as one of the most promising and scalable platforms for quantum com- puting, with substantial industrial adoption driving qubit counts steadilyupward. Yet the layout of the corresponding chips is still primarily performed manually, consuming multiple days or weeks of expert effort, even for moderately sized designs. Existing automation approaches sidestep this bottleneck by simplifying the underlying problem and relaxing physical constraints. Therefore, they fall short of fabrication-ready results. To overcome this scalability wall without such compromises, we first introduce a formal abstraction that translates physical device characteristics into a rigorous geometric problem formulation. This abstraction bridges physical realization and design automation. Building upon this abstraction, we then propose a three-stage design automation flow comprising geometry-aware global partitioning, ILP-based port assignment, and a hierarchical routing pipeline. Evaluations conducted by our interdisciplinary team of design au- tomation researchers and superconducting hardware experts con- firm that the resulting flow produces complete, manufacturing- ready layouts that comply with the physical design rules at the push of a button. That is, it operates fully automatically within seconds to a few minutes, and solves complex instances up to 25x faster than the state of the art. All methods are released as the fully open-source tool mqt-scpd as part of the Munich Quantum Toolkit, providing the first readily usable, end- to-end design flow for planar superconducting quantum chips that explicitly addresses the underlying physical characteristics and requirements.
Superconducting quantum chips commonly utilize quarter-wavelength ({lambda}/4) transmission line resonators as readout circuits. An analytical model for the accurate determinationof resonance frequencies and coupling Q-factors of feedline-coupled superconducting resonators is introduced. The model leverages four-port microwave network analysis, integrating boundary conditions and conformal mapping techniques to compute even- and odd-mode impedances in edge-coupled coplanar waveguide (CPW) structures. Its versatility allows application to both planar and 3-D heterogeneous architectures, making it a powerful tool for resonator design. To validate the model, a test chip with {\lambda}/4 resonators of varying geometries is fabricated and measured in a cryogenic environment. Comparisons with finite element method (FEM) simulations and experimental measurements confirm the model’s accuracy, with resonance frequencies and coupling Q-factors aligning closely across configurations. This proposed model facilitates the design of superconducting resonators in readout circuits for more effective, scalable, and adaptable quantum computing architectures.
To scale superconducting quantum processors, it is essential to achieve long coherence times while engineering interactions that do not introduce additional decoherence channels. Insuperconducting qubit systems, this can be realized using multimode circuits that feature a protected qubit mode alongside a distinct mediator mode. Building on this concept, our recently developed P-mon qubit provides intrinsic protection against decoherence from the readout environment. We extend this approach to controlled two-qubit interactions, by exploiting the mediator modes of P-mons for on-demand coupling. Because direct interactions between the qubit modes are strongly suppressed, unwanted ZZ-type interactions are significantly reduced to below 3.6(5) kHz in the idle state. When tuning the coupled mediator modes on resonance, the cross-Kerr interaction between the qubit and the hybridized mediator modes leads to a qubit-state dependent frequency shift. By selectively addressing these transitions, we implement a 180 ns long CZ gate and determine a fidelity of 99.62(4) %. These results represent a significant step toward a scalable superconducting architecture that maintains high performance at scale.
The reliable generation of multi-qubit entanglement is a prerequisite for large-scale quantum information technologies. In particular, W states are a valuable resource owing to theirresilience under local loss or measurement. Nevertheless, preparing these states with sequential two-qubit gates often requires substantial time overhead. By contrast, engineered simultaneous interactions enable fast entanglement generation, even in qubit systems with limited nearest-neighbour connectivity. Here, we demonstrate a set of fast and robust operations for coherently distributing a single excitation across a lattice of arbitrary size, thereby directly generating W states from initial product states. In 2D lattices, the excitation propagates along both directions simultaneously, such that the total entanglement time scales only with the largest dimension. We exploit this property to prepare a six-qubit W state in a 3×2 superconducting lattice within 99 ns, achieving a tomographic fidelity of 83.9±1.0%. We then extend the protocol to create entanglement across chains of up to seven qubits, with the largest W state generated in 264 ns with a fidelity of 79.6±1.3%.
Fast and high-fidelity qubit readout requires strong coupling between the readout resonator and the feedline. However, such coupling unavoidably enhances qubit decay through the Purcelleffect. We present a four-pole broadband Purcell filter implemented on a 3D flip-chip platform to overcome this trade-off. The filter provides a flat 1 GHz passband centered at 7.68 GHz and achieves more than 45 dB suppression at typical qubit frequencies. We demonstrate the filter’s compatibility with multiplexed readout using a test chip that integrates six floating readout resonators strongly coupled within the passband. The chip is fabricated using a 150 nm Niobium (Nb) thin-film process and characterized at 20 mK in a cryogenic measurement setup. We also develop an analytical model that accurately captures the filter response and determines the resonance frequencies and external quality factors of the floating resonators directly from their physical geometry, enabling rapid circuit synthesis and design optimization. The proposed design is compact and fabrication-tolerant, making it a practical solution for large-scale superconducting quantum processors.
A hybrid quantum computing architecture combining quantum processors and quantum memory units allows for exploiting each component’s unique properties to enhance the overall performanceof the total system. However, superconducting qubits are highly sensitive to magnetic fields, while spin ensembles require finite fields for control, creating a major integration challenge. In this work, we demonstrate the first experimental setup that satisfies these constraints and provides verified qubit stability. Our cryogenic setup comprises two spatially and magnetically decoupled sample volumes inside a single dilution refrigerator: one hosting flux-tunable superconducting qubits and the other a spin ensemble equipped with a superconducting solenoid generating fields up to 50 mT. We show that several layers of Cryophy shielding and an additional superconducting aluminum shield suppress magnetic crosstalk by more than eight orders of magnitude, ensuring stability of the qubit’s performance. Moreover, the operation of the solenoid adds minimal thermal load on the relevant stages of the dilution refrigerator. Our results enable scalable hybrid quantum architectures with low-loss integration, marking a key step toward scalable hybrid quantum computing platforms.
State-of-the-art single-qubit gates on superconducting transmon qubits can achieve the fidelities required for error-corrected computations. However, parameter fluctuations due to qubitinstabilities, environmental changes, and control inaccuracies make it difficult to maintain this performance. To mitigate the effects of these parameter variations, we numerically derive gates robust to amplitude and frequency errors using gradient ascent pulse engineering (GRAPE). We analyze how fluctuations in qubit frequency, drive amplitude, and coherence affect gate performance over time. The robust pulses suppress coherent errors from drive amplitude drifts over 15 times more than a Gaussian pulse with derivative removal by adiabatic gate (DRAG) corrections. Furthermore, the robust gates, originally designed to compensate for quasi-static errors, also demonstrate resilience to stochastic, time-dependent noise, which is reflected in the dephasing time. They suppress added errors during increases in dephasing by up to 1.7 times more than DRAG.
We propose a hybrid quantum computing architecture composed of alternating fluxonium and transmon qubits, that are coupled via transmon tunable couplers. We show that this system offersexcellent scaling properties, characterized by engineered zero ZZ-crosstalk in the idle regime, a substantial reduction of level-crowding challenges through the alternating arrangement of different qubit types within the lattice, and parameter regimes that circumvent the capacitive loading problem commonly associated with fluxoniums. In numerical simulations, we show a parametrically driven CZ-gate that achieves a closed-system infidelity that is orders of magnitude below the coherence limit for gate durations ≳30ns using a two-tone flux pulse on the tunable coupler. Furthermore, we show that this gate scheme retains its fidelity in the presence of spectator qubits, making it a scalable solution for large lattices. Moreover, for the implementation of error correcting codes, our approach can leverage the long coherence times and large non-linearities of fluxoniums as data qubits, while fixed-frequency transmons with established readout techniques can serve as measurement ancillas.
Protecting qubits from environmental noise while maintaining strong coupling for fast high-fidelity control is a central challenge for quantum information processing. Here, we demonstratea novel control scheme for superconducting fluxonium qubits that eliminates qubit decay through the control channel by reducing the environmental density of states at the transition frequency. Adding a low-pass filter on the flux line allows for flux-biasing and at the same time coherently controlling the fluxonium qubit by parametrically driving it at integer fractions of its transition frequency. We compare the filtered to the unfiltered configuration and find a five times longer T1, and ten times improved T2-echo time in the protected case. We demonstrate coherent control with up to 11-photon sub-harmonic drives, highlighting the strong non-linearity of the fluxonium potential. We experimentally determine Rabi frequencies and drive-induced frequency shifts in excellent agreement with numerical and analytical calculations. Furthermore, we show the equivalence of a 3-photon sub-harmonic drive to an on-resonance drive by benchmarking sub-harmonic gate fidelities above 99.94 %. These results open up a scalable path for full qubit control via a single protected channel, strongly suppressing qubit decoherence caused by control lines.