Comparison of Two-Level System Microwave Losses in Pure Bulk Microcrystalline Nb2O5 and NbO2 Oxide Samples

TL;DR

This study compares microwave losses due to two-level systems in pure bulk microcrystalline Nb2O5 and NbO2 oxides, revealing that Nb2O5 exhibits TLS losses while NbO2 does not, informing material choices for superconducting quantum devices.

Contribution

It provides the first direct comparison of TLS losses in Nb2O5 and NbO2 oxides using a superconducting microwave cavity, identifying NbO2 as a potentially lower-loss alternative.

Findings

Nb2O5 shows TLS-related loss behavior consistent with models.

NbO2 bulk powder does not exhibit detectable TLS losses.

Replacing Nb2O5 with NbO2 could reduce microwave losses in superconducting devices.

Abstract

Losses from two-level systems (TLS) associated with amorphous oxides remain one of the primary limitations to the performance of superconducting qubits and microwave cavities. Niobium resonators are widely used in quantum science experiments, yet niobium's natural oxide layer contains various types of oxides whose relative contributions to TLS loss have not been clearly distinguished. Here, we use a superconducting 3D microwave cavity to measure commercial 99.9\% trace metal pure, microcrystalline oxide powders \ch{Nb2O5} and \ch{NbO2} in bulk amounts. Using this approach, we directly compare the loss characteristics of \ch{Nb2O5} and \ch{NbO2}. Our measurements show that the nominal \ch{Nb2O5} bulk oxide powder samples exhibit losses which have the power and temperature behavior expected for TLS. Moreover, the measurements agree with existing theoretical models. Analogous measurements performed on \ch{NbO2} bulk powder samples do not show any detectable TLS loss signatures. Based on our results we propose that the TLS losses might be reduced if a high quality microcrystalline \ch{NbO2} oxide dominates the \ch{Nb2O5} oxide in practical Nb cavities. These results establish a materials based strategy for isolating oxide specific TLS losses and provide a reference measurement for niobium oxide phases relevant to superconducting quantum devices.