Tantalum airbridges for scalable superconducting quantum processors

Abstract

The unique property of tantalum, particularly its exceptional resistance to both acid and alkali, makes it promising for superconducting quantum processors. Here, we propose a novel lift-off method for fabricating tantalum airbridges with separate or fully-capped structures. This method introduces an aluminum film as a barrier layer to separate two layers of photoresist, which is then etched away before depositing tantalum film. We experimentally characterize these tantalum airbridges as control line jumpers, ground plane crossovers and coupling elements, and further validate the overall adaptability by a 13-qubit quantum processor with a median T₁ exceeding 100 μs. The median single-qubit gate fidelity is measured at 99.95(2)% for isolated Randomized Benchmarking and 99.94(2)% for the simultaneous one. Additionally, the experimental achievement of airbridge coupling with a controlled-Z gate fidelity surpassing 99.2(2)% in a separate two-qubit quantum chip may facilitate scalable quantum computation and quantum error correction with entirely tantalum elements.