Short review on advanced superconducting circuits and devices.
We developed transmon qubits based on epitaxial tunnel junctions and interdigitated capacitors. This multileveled qubit, patterned by use of all-optical lithography, is a step towards scalable qubits with a high integration density. The relaxation ti
me T1 is .72-.86mu sec and the ensemble dephasing time T2 is slightly larger than T1. The dephasing time T2 (1.36mu sec) is nearly energy-relaxation-limited. Qubit spectroscopy yields weaker level splitting than observed in qubits with amorphous barriers in equivalent-size junctions. The qubits inferred microwave loss closely matches the weighted losses of the individual elements (junction, wiring dielectric, and interdigitated capacitor), determined by independent resonator measurements.
We present a fabrication scheme and testing results for epitaxial sub-micrometer Josephson junctions. The junctions are made using a high-temperature (1170 K) via process yielding junctions as small as 0.8 mu m in diameter by use of optical lithograp
hy. Sapphire (Al2O3) tunnel-barriers are grown on an epitaxial Re/Ti multilayer base-electrode. We have fabricated devices with both Re and Al top electrodes. While room-temperature (295 K) resistance versus area data are favorable for both types of top electrodes, the low-temperature (50 mK) data show that junctions with the Al top electrode have a much higher subgap resistance. The microwave loss properties of the junctions have been measured by use of superconducting Josephson junction qubits. The results show that high subgap resistance correlates to improved qubit performance.
We present the latest generation of superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor Josephson tunnel junctions with a step-like thickness of the ferromagnetic (F) layer. The F-layer thicknesses $d_1$ and $d_2$ in both halves were varied to obtain
different combinations of positive and negative critical current densities $j_{c,1}$ and $j_{c,2}$. The measured dependences of the critical current on applied magnetic field can be well described by a model which takes into account different critical current densities (obtained from reference junctions) and different net magnetization of the multidomain ferromagnetic layer in both halves.
The dependence of the critical current density j_c on the ferromagnetic interlayer thickness d_F was determined for Nb/Al_2O_3/Cu/Ni/Nb Josephson tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic Ni interlayer from very thin film thicknesses (sim 1 nm) upwards and
classified into F-layer thickness regimes showing a dead magnetic layer, exchange, exchange + anisotropy and total suppression of j_c. The Josephson coupling changes from 0 to pi as function of d_F, and -very close to the crossover thickness- as function of temperature. The strong suppression of the supercurrent in comparison to non-magnetic Nb/Al_2O_3/Cu/Nb junctions indicated that the insertion of a F-layer leads to additional interface scattering. The transport inside the dead magnetic layer was in dirty limit. For the magnetically active regime fitting with both the clean and the dirty limit theory were carried out, indicating dirty limit condition, too. The results were discussed in the framework of literature
Magnetotransport measurements were done on $Nb/Al_2O_3/Cu/Ni/Nb$ superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor Josephson tunnel junctions. Depending on ferromagnetic $Ni$ interlayer thickness and geometry the standard (1d) magnetic field depend
ence of critical current deviates from the text-book model for Josephson junctions. The results are qualitatively explained by a short Josephson junction model based on anisotropy and 2d remanent magnetization.
