Oxygen vacancies in niobium pentoxide as a source of two-level system losses in superconducting niobium
D. Bafia, A. Murthy, A. Grassellino, A. Romanenko
DOI 10.1103/PhysRevApplied.22.024035 · Physical Review Applied
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Abstract
We identify a major source of quantum decoherence in three-dimensional superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) resonators and two-dimensional transmon qubits composed of oxidized niobium: oxygen vacancies in the niobium pentoxide, which drive two-level system (TLS) losses. By probing the effect of sequential in situ vacuum-baking treatments on the rf performance of bulk Nb SRF resonators and on the oxide structure of a representative Nb sample using TOF SIMS, we find a nonmonotonic evolution of cavity quality factor Q0, which correlates with the interplay of Nb2O5 vacancy generation and oxide-thickness reduction. We localize this effect to the oxide itself and present the insignificant role of diffused interstitial oxygen in the underlying Nb by regrowing the oxide via wet oxidation, which reveals a mitigation of aggravated TLS losses. We hypothesize that such vacancies in the pentoxide serve as magnetic impurities and are a source of TLS-driven rf loss.
Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval
| Formula | Reported Tc (K) | Pressure (GPa) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nb Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula. | 9.25 | Pressure not reported | onset |
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