Loss and decoherence in superconducting circuits on silicon: Insights from electron spin resonance

Abstract

Solid-state devices used for quantum computation and quantum sensing applications are adversely affected by loss and noise caused by spurious, charged two-level systems (TLS) and stray paramagnetic spins. These two sources of noise are interconnected, exacerbating the impact on circuit performance. We use an on-chip electron spin resonance (ESR) technique, with niobium nitride (NbN) superconducting resonators, to study surface spins on silicon and the effect of postfabrication surface treatments. We identify two distinct spin species that are characterized by different spin-relaxation times and respond selectively to various surface treatments (annealing and hydrofluoric acid). Only one of the two spin species has a significant impact on the TLS-limited resonator quality factor at low-power (near-single-photon) excitation. We observe a three- to fivefold reduction in the total density of spins after surface treatments and demonstrate the efficacy of ESR spectroscopy in developing strategies to mitigate loss and decoherence in quantum systems.