Integration of Topological Insulator Josephson Junctions in Superconducting Qubit Circuits.

The integration of semiconductor Josephson junctions (JJs) in superconducting quantum circuits provides a versatile platform for hybrid qubits and offers a powerful way to probe exotic quasiparticle excitations. Recent proposals for using circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) to detect topological superconductivity motivate the integration of novel topological materials in such circuits. Here, we report on the realization of superconducting transmon qubits implemented with (BiSb)Te topological insulator (TI) JJs using ultrahigh vacuum fabrication techniques.

Pulsed electron spin resonance of an organic microcrystal by dispersive readout.

We establish a testbed system for the development of high-sensitivity Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) techniques for small samples at cryogenic temperatures. Our system consists of a NbN thin-film planar superconducting microresonator designed to have a concentrated mode volume to couple to a small amount of paramagnetic material, and to be resilient to magnetic fields of up to 400mT. At 65mK we measure high-cooperativity coupling (C≈19) to an organic radical microcrystal containing 10 spins in a pico-litre volume.

Enhancement of Superconductivity by Amorphizing Molybdenum Silicide Films Using a Focused Ion Beam.

We have used focused ion beam irradiation to progressively cause defects in annealed molybdenum silicide thin films. Without the treatment, the films are superconducting with critical temperature of about 1 K. We observe that both resistivity and critical temperature increase as the ion dose is increased.