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Experimental Particle and Astro-Particle Physics Seminar
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Europe/Zurich
Description
Abstract:
Superconducting quantum bits (qubits) are not only key components in quantum computing but also emerging tools for quantum sensing and particle detection. In recent years, several research groups have investigated the impact of particle interactions on these devices, demonstrating that ionizing radiation, including environmental radioactivity and cosmic-ray muons, can degrade their performance.
In this seminar, I will discuss recent advancements in understanding and mitigating these effects to enhance the reliability of superconducting quantum processors. One approach involves equipping a superconducting qubit chip with an active muon tagging system based on Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs) to identify and suppress muon-induced correlated errors, a strategy inspired by well-known techniques in particle physics.
At the same time, their sensitivity to small energy deposits makes superconducting qubits an intriguing platform for particle detection. I will present experimental results demonstrating the ability of transmon qubits to detect ionizing radiation, based on measurements conducted at the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS). These studies highlight both the potential and challenges of using qubits as radiation detectors, emphasizing the need to improve discrimination between real signals and intrinsic noise sources.
By bridging quantum computing and particle physics, these efforts open new avenues for fundamental research and advanced quantum technologies.