Tantalum's Potential for Quantum Processor Improvement.

Researchers from the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, the National Synchrotron Light Source II, the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage, and Princeton University have decoded the chemical profile of tantalum to understand why superconducting qubits made with tantalum perform better than those made with niobium and aluminum. They found that the thickness and chemical nature of the tantalum oxide layer on the surface of tantalum played a role in determining the qubit coherence. The study's results will provide key knowledge for designing even better qubits in the future.