Low loss amorphous dielectric thin films for superconducting qubit applications
Research aims to improve superconducting qubits by studying and reducing energy loss in thin film dielectrics using nanofabrication and measurement techniques.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (Next deadline)
Funding Amounts: Stipend approximately $99,200 per year plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical tenure 2-3 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral research to study and reduce low energy excitations causing energy loss in amorphous dielectric thin films for superconducting qubit applications using nanofabrication and low-temperature measurement techniques.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents; requires Ph.D. earned within last 5 years; research conducted on-site at Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.
Description
This fellowship opportunity supports postdoctoral research at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) focused on understanding and mitigating low energy excitations in amorphous and disordered crystalline dielectric thin films that limit the performance of superconducting quantum bits (qubits) and related devices. These excitations, believed to arise from atomic tunneling between equilibrium positions at low temperatures, contribute to noise and decoherence in superconducting circuits, nanomechanical resonators, photodetectors, quantum motion sensors, and SQUID multiplexers.
The research involves detailed study of elastic properties (internal friction, speed of sound) and thermal properties (thermal conductivity, specific heat) of amorphous dielectric thin films at cryogenic temperatures ranging from 20 mK to 30 K. Structural characterization techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction will be used to analyze the amorphous structure at nanometer scales. The project also explores connections between low energy excitations and broader amorphous solid properties like glass transition and rigidity percolation.
The work offers hands-on experience with advanced nanofabrication tools including electron-beam evaporation, sputtering, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, photolithography, electron beam lithography, reactive ion etching, wet chemical etching, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Experimental measurements will utilize helium-3 cryostats and dilution refrigerators capable of reaching 20 mK and magnetic fields up to 10 Tesla.
Key scientific questions include:
- What parameters govern the macroscopic properties of amorphous solids?
- Do ideal amorphous solids without defects exist?
This research aims to improve the quality factor and coherence of superconducting qubits by reducing dielectric losses, thereby advancing quantum computing and sensing technologies.
