Round Robin: multi-institution characterization of superconducting qubits

In order to advance state-of-the-art superconducting qubit device performance as well as the cryogenic microwave measurement systems used to operate them, an understanding of the decoherence mechanisms is critical. Because decoherence can be a result of elements intrinsic to the device and factors external to the chip such as the microwave chain and magnetic environment, disentangling decoherence mechanisms and sources has historically not been possible. This is compounded by a lack of systematic study of qubit performance over time, between cooldowns, and between laboratories. There is also a lack of data about environmental factors, for example the susceptibility to cosmic rays of a given location. In this study we are characterizing the same physical qubits in multiple environments in a first-of-its-kind study to provide new insight into these factors toward advancing state of the art performance.

We seek to address these challenges with a multi-institution ‘round robin’ experiment consisting of repeated measurements of tunable and fixed-frequency transmon qubits and superconducting resonators. In this talk, we will present the measurement protocol designed to maximize the discriminability of decoherence sources as well as results to date of qubits measured in those labs.