Superconducting Qubits as Quantum Sensors for the Detection of Ionizing Radiation

Quantum sensing describes the use of a quantum system, quantum properties, or quantum phenomena to perform a measurement of a physical quantity.  Quantum sensors capitalize on the central weakness of quantum systems, their strong sensitivity to external disturbances.  Here we present measurements directed toward utilizing a superconducting qubit, not for quantum information processing, but as a quantum sensor for the detection of ionizing radiation.  Whereas ionizing radiation presents a potentially serious problem for quantum error correction due to spatially and temporally correlated errors, it represents an opportunity for quantum sensing.  A parameter characterizing superconducting qubits is the ratio (E_J/E_C) where E_J is the Josephson energy and E_C is the charging energy.  We report on measurements of transmon qubits with 20 < (E_J/E_C) < 60 directed toward the investigation of superconducting qubits as quantum sensors for the detection of ionizing radiation.

 

This work was performed in part at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a U.S. DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences user facility.  This work was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program at Sandia National Laboratories, a multimission laboratory managed and operated by NTESS under DOE NNSA contract DE-NA0003525.