Quantum bits and methods of forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9646259-B2
Application number	US-201414460988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2014
Priority date	Nov 11, 2011
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A Josephson junction (JJ) quantum bit (qubits) arranged on a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, each qubit comprises a dielectric layer, a superconductor base layer portion underlying the dielectric layer and a first dielectric diffused region adjacent a dielectric layer/superconductor base layer portion junction. The qubit further comprise a superconductor mesa layer portion overlying the dielectric layer and having a second dielectric diffused region adjacent a dielectric layer/superconductor mesa layer portion junction, the first and second dielectric diffused regions mitigating further diffusion from other semiconductor processes on the plurality of qubits.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plurality of Josephson junction (JJ) quantum bit (qubits) arranged on a substrate, each of the plurality of qubits comprising:
a dielectric layer;
a superconductor base layer portion underlying the dielectric layer and having a first dielectric diffused region in the superconductor base layer portion adjacent a dielectric layer/ superconductor base layer portion junction; and
a superconductor mesa layer portion overlying the dielectric layer and having a second dielectric diffused region in the superconductor mesa layer portion adjacent a dielectric layer/ superconductor mesa layer portion junction, the first and second dielectric diffused regions mitigating further diffusion from other semiconductor processes on the plurality of qubits;
wherein the first and second dielectric diffused regions of a given JJ qubit define a critical current density of the given JJ qubit as a second critical current density that is greater than a first critical current density of the given JJ qubit implemented without the first and second diffused regions.

2. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer of each qubit is aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), and each of the superconductor base layer portion and superconductor mesa layer portion are either one of aluminum (Al) and aluminum-copper (Al-Cu).

3. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer of each qubit is formed of a dielectric material that provides for hardening the superconductor-dielectric junction against junction travel and/or subsequent diffusion resulting from additional processing and each of the superconductor base layer portion and superconductor mesa layer portion are niobium (Nb).

4. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein a pattern of extended openings separate each of the plurality of qubits from an adjacent qubit.

5. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of qubits are formed on an insulting layer that resides between the plurality of qubits and the substrate.

6. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein the superconductor base layer portion and superconductor mesa layer portion are aligned with one another.

7. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer is one of HfO2 and Y2O3.

8. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , further comprising one or more conductive lines and contacts connecting to the plurality of qubits.

9. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein the second critical current density is selected based on an annealing temperature employed to form the first and second dielectric regions.

10. A plurality of Josephson junction (JJ) quantum bit (qubits) separated by a pattern of extended openings and arranged on an insulting layer that resides between the plurality of qubits and a substrate, each of the plurality of qubits comprising:
a superconductor base layer portion underlying a dielectric layer and having a first dielectric diffused region in the superconductor base layer portion adjacent a dielectric layer/ superconductor base layer portion junction; and
a superconductor mesa layer portion overlying the dielectric layer and having a second dielectric diffused region in the superconductor mesa layer portion adjacent a dielectric layer/ superconductor mesa layer portion junction, the first and second dielectric diffused regions mitigating further diffusion from other semiconductor processes on the plurality of qubits, the superconductor base layer portion and superconductor mesa layer portion being aligned with one another,
wherein the first and second dielectric diffused regions of each respective JJ qubit of the plurality of JJ qubits define a critical current density of each respective JJ qubit of the plurality of JJ qubits as a second critical current density that is greater than a first critical current density of each respective JJ qubit of the plurality of implemented without the first and second dielectric diffused regions.

11. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein the critical current density of the given JJ qubit is at least 40 amperes per square centimeter (A/cm 2 ).

12. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein the critical current density of the given JJ qubit is at least 50 amperes per square centimeter (A/cm 2 ).

13. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein the critical current density of the given JJ qubit is at least 65 amperes per square centimeter (A/cm 2 ).

14. The plurality of qubits of claim 1 , wherein the first critical current density of the given JJ qubit is defined by a thickness of the dielectric layer of the given JJ qubit.

15. A Josephson junction (JJ) quantum bit (qubit) comprising:
a dielectric layer;
a superconductor base layer portion underlying the dielectric layer and having a given dielectric diffused region in the superconductor base layer portion adjacent a dielectric layer/ superconductor base layer portion junction; and
a superconductor mesa layer portion overlying the dielectric layer and having another dielectric diffused region in the superconductor mesa layer portion adjacent a dielectric layer/ superconductor mesa layer portion junction, the given and the another dielectric diffused regions mitigate further diffusion from other semiconductor processes on the plurality of qubits and a critical current density of the JJ qubit is at least 40 amperes per square centimeter (A/cm 2 ).

Assignees

• Shea Patrick B
• Folk Erica C
• Ewing Daniel J
• Talvacchio John J
• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Shea Patrick B
• Folk Erica C
• Ewing Daniel J
• Talvacchio John J

Classifications

• H01L39/223

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L39/2493

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06N99/002 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• H10N60/12 Primary

  Josephson-effect devices · CPC title

• H10N60/0912

  of Josephson-effect devices · CPC title