Hotter is easier: unexpected temperature dependence of spin qubit frequencies

TL;DR

This study reveals a surprising temperature dependence of spin qubit frequencies, showing that operating at 200 mK reduces frequency shifts and crosstalk, thereby improving multi-spin control in quantum processors.

Contribution

It demonstrates that operating spin qubits at 200 mK suppresses adverse frequency shifts and crosstalk, simplifying calibration and enhancing scalability of quantum devices.

Findings

Non-monotonic relation between temperature and qubit frequency

Operation at 200 mK suppresses frequency shifts and crosstalk

Improved multi-spin control and calibration simplicity

Abstract

As spin-based quantum processors grow in size and complexity, maintaining high fidelities and minimizing crosstalk will be essential for the successful implementation of quantum algorithms and error-correction protocols. In particular, recent experiments have highlighted pernicious transient qubit frequency shifts associated with microwave qubit driving. Workarounds for small devices, including prepulsing with an off-resonant microwave burst to bring a device to a steady-state, wait times prior to measurement, and qubit-specific calibrations all bode ill for device scalability. Here, we make substantial progress in understanding and overcoming this effect. We report a surprising non-monotonic relation between mixing chamber temperature and spin Larmor frequency which is consistent with observed frequency shifts induced by microwave and baseband control signals. We find that purposefully operating the device at 200 mK greatly suppresses the adverse heating effect while not compromising qubit coherence or single-qubit fidelity benchmarks. Furthermore, systematic non-Markovian crosstalk is greatly reduced. Our results provide a straightforward means of improving the quality of multi-spin control while simplifying calibration procedures for future spin-based quantum processors.