Coupling a 4 GHz Surface Acoustic Wave Resonator to a Superconducting Qubit*

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices represent a mature technology in classical signal processing. SAWs have also been proposed as a method of coherently coupling disparate quantum systems. Several groups have reported experimental results coupling SAWs and other mechanical systems to superconducting qubits. In this talk, we explore important design and fabrication considerations for coupling a 4 GHz SAW resonator to a superconducting qubit while maintaining high qubit coherence. We examine how the coupling architecture, material properties, and resonator design influence the impedance matching between the resonator and qubit. Following these considerations, we design and fabricate devices and present experimental results.