Low-loss liquid metal interconnects for modular superconducting quantum systems

  1. Zhancheng Yao,
  2. Martin Sandberg,
  3. David W. Abraham,
  4. and David J. Bishop
Building modular architecture with superconducting quantum computing chips is one of the means to achieve qubit scalability, allowing the screening, selection, replacement, and integration
of individual qubit modules into large quantum systems. However, the non-destructive replacement of modules within a compact architecture remains a challenge. Liquid metals (LM), specifically gallium alloys, can be alternatives to solid-state galvanic interconnects. This is motivated by their self-healing, self-aligning, and other desirable fluidic properties, potentially enabling non-destructive replacement of modules at room temperatures, even after operating the entire system at millikelvin regimes. In this study, we present high-internal-quality-factor coplanar waveguide resonators (CPWR) interconnected by gallium alloy droplets, demonstrating performance on par with the continuous solid-state CPWRs. Leveraging the desirable fluidic properties of gallium alloys at room temperature and their compact design, we envision a modular quantum system enabled by liquid metals.