Optimizing magnetic coupling in lumped element superconducting resonators for molecular spin qubits

TL;DR

This paper presents the design of superconducting resonators optimized for strong magnetic coupling to molecular spin qubits, achieving record single-spin and collective coupling strengths, and explores spin dynamics and relaxation mechanisms.

Contribution

The authors develop resonators with tailored inductors to maximize either collective or single-spin coupling, demonstrating record coupling strengths and studying spin relaxation and coherent dynamics.

Findings

Record single-spin coupling up to 100 kHz.

Collective coupling exceeding 10 MHz.

Evidence of Purcell effect influencing spin relaxation.

Abstract

We engineer lumped-element superconducting resonators that maximize magnetic coupling to molecular spin qubits, achieving record single-spin couplings up to $100$ kHz and collective couplings exceeding $10$ MHz. The resonators interact with PTMr organic free radicals, model spin systems with $S=1/2$ and a quasi-isotropic $g \simeq 2$, dispersed in polymer matrices. The highest collective spin-photon coupling strengths are attained with resonators having large inductors, which therefore interact with most spins in the molecular ensemble. By contrast, the coupling of each individual spin $G_{1}$ is maximized in resonators having a minimum size inductor, made of a single wire. The same platform has been used to study spin relaxation and spin coherent dynamics in the dispersive regime, when spins are energetically detuned from the resonator. We find evidences for the Purcell effect, i.e. the photon induced relaxation of those spins that are most strongly coupled to the circuit. The rate of this process gives access to the distribution of single spin photon couplings in a given device. For resonators with a $50$ nm wide constriction at the inductor center, single maximum $G_{1}$ values reach $\sim 100$ kHz. Pumping the spins with strong pulses fed through an independent transmission line induces coherent Rabi oscillations. The spin excitation then proceeds via either direct resonant processes induced by the main pulse frequency or, in the case of square-shaped pulses, via the excitation of the cavity by sideband frequency components. The latter process measures the cavity mode hybridization with the spins and can be eliminated by using Gaussian shaped pulses. These results establish a scalable route toward integrated molecular-spin quantum processors.