Terahertz near-field imaging of sidewall-induced losses in superconducting qubits

R Richard H. J. Kim (Ames National Laboratory, US Department of Energy 1 , Ames, Iowa 50011,) S Samuel J. Haeuser (Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University 2 , Ames, Iowa 50011,) J Joong-Mok Park (Ames National Laboratory, US Department of Energy 1 , Ames, Iowa 50011,) R Randall K. Chan (Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University 2 , Ames, Iowa 50011,) J Jin-Su Oh (Ames National Laboratory, US Department of Energy 1 , Ames, Iowa 50011,) T Thomas Koschny (Ames National Laboratory, US Department of Energy 1 , Ames, Iowa 50011,) L Lin Zhou M Matthew J. Kramer (Ames National Laboratory, US Department of Energy 1 , Ames, Iowa 50011,) A Akshay A. Murthy (Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,) M Mustafa Bal (Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,) F Francesco Crisa (Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,) S Sabrina Garattoni (Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,) S Shaojiang Zhu (Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,) A Andrei Lunin (Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,) D David Olaya (National Institute of Standards and Technology 4 , Boulder, Colorado 80305,) P Peter Hopkins (National Institute of Standards and Technology 4 , Boulder, Colorado 80305,) A Alex Romanenko (Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,) A Anna Grassellino (Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,) J Jigang Wang (Artemisinin Research Center and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica)

Abstract

Correlating superconducting qubit performance with advanced materials analysis is a key strategy for improving coherence. Existing diagnostics for key properties, such as dielectric loss, structural discontinuity, and interface heterogeneity, often rely on destructive electron microscopy or low-throughput millikelvin measurements. Here, we demonstrate noninvasive terahertz (THz) nano-imaging/spectroscopy of encapsulated niobium transmon qubits as a high-throughput proxy for performance evaluation. We identify large variations in sidewall near-field signals, implicating sidewall loss and discontinuity as major coherence limiters, and also use THz hyperspectral line scans to probe dielectric responses and field participation at Al junction interfaces.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 127, Issue 11
Published September 15, 2025
ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher American Institute of Physics

Journal Info

Applied Physics Letters

American Institute of Physics

ISSN: 0003-6951 Physical Sciences

Authors (19)

R

Richard H. J. Kim

Ames National Laboratory, US Department of Energy 1 , Ames, Iowa 50011,

S

Samuel J. Haeuser

Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University 2 , Ames, Iowa 50011,

J

Joong-Mok Park

Ames National Laboratory, US Department of Energy 1 , Ames, Iowa 50011,

R

Randall K. Chan

Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University 2 , Ames, Iowa 50011,

J

Jin-Su Oh

Ames National Laboratory, US Department of Energy 1 , Ames, Iowa 50011,

T

Thomas Koschny

Ames National Laboratory, US Department of Energy 1 , Ames, Iowa 50011,

L

Lin Zhou

M

Matthew J. Kramer

Ames National Laboratory, US Department of Energy 1 , Ames, Iowa 50011,

A

Akshay A. Murthy

Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,

M

Mustafa Bal

Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,

F

Francesco Crisa

Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,

S

Sabrina Garattoni

Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,

S

Shaojiang Zhu

Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,

A

Andrei Lunin

Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,

D

David Olaya

National Institute of Standards and Technology 4 , Boulder, Colorado 80305,

P

Peter Hopkins

National Institute of Standards and Technology 4 , Boulder, Colorado 80305,

A

Alex Romanenko

Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,

A

Anna Grassellino

Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) 3 , Batavia, Illinois 60510,

J

Jigang Wang

Artemisinin Research Center and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica