Qubits made from superconducting materials are a mature platform for quantum information science application, such as quantum computing. However, material-based losses are now a limiting factor in reaching the coherence times needed for applications. In particular, knowledge of the atomistic structure and properties of the circuit materials is needed to identify, understand, and mitigate material-based decoherence channels. In this work, we characterize the atomic structure of the native oxide film formed on Nb resonators by comparing fluctuation electron microscopy experiments to density functional theory calculations, finding that an amorphous layer is consistent with an Nb2O5 stoichiometry. Comparing x-ray absorption measurements at the Oxygen K edge with first-principles calculations, we find evidence of d-type magnetic impurities in our sample, known to cause impedance in proximal superconductors. This work identifies the structural and chemical composition of the oxide layer grown on Nb superconductors and shows that soft x-ray absorption can fingerprint magnetic impurities in these superconducting systems.
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13 December 2021
Research Article|
December 16 2021
Elucidating the local atomic and electronic structure of amorphous oxidized superconducting niobium films
Special Collection:
Emerging Qubit Systems - Novel Materials, Encodings and Architectures
Thomas F. Harrelson
;
Thomas F. Harrelson
1
Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
2
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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Evan Sheridan
;
Evan Sheridan
1
Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
2
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
3
Theory and Simulation of Condensed Matter, Department of Physics, King's College London
, The Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
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Ellis Kennedy
;
Ellis Kennedy
4
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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John Vinson
;
John Vinson
5
Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology
, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
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Alpha T. N'Diaye
;
Alpha T. N'Diaye
6
Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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M. Virginia P. Altoé;
M. Virginia P. Altoé
2
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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Adam Schwartzberg;
Adam Schwartzberg
2
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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Irfan Siddiqi;
Irfan Siddiqi
1
Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
7
Department of Physics, University of California
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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D. Frank Ogletree
;
D. Frank Ogletree
2
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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Mary C. Scott;
Mary C. Scott
4
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
8
NCEM, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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Sinéad M. Griffin
Sinéad M. Griffin
a)
1
Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
2
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
Note: This paper is part of the APL Special Collection on Emerging Qubit Systems - Novel Materials, Encodings and Architectures.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 119, 244004 (2021)
Article history
Received:
August 31 2021
Accepted:
December 02 2021
Citation
Thomas F. Harrelson, Evan Sheridan, Ellis Kennedy, John Vinson, Alpha T. N'Diaye, M. Virginia P. Altoé, Adam Schwartzberg, Irfan Siddiqi, D. Frank Ogletree, Mary C. Scott, Sinéad M. Griffin; Elucidating the local atomic and electronic structure of amorphous oxidized superconducting niobium films. Appl. Phys. Lett. 13 December 2021; 119 (24): 244004. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0069549
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