A simple method to fabricate Josephson junctions

TL;DR

This paper presents a straightforward, minimal fabrication method for Al/AlO$_x$/Al Josephson junctions using photolithography and argon etching, enabling scalable quantum device production.

Contribution

The authors introduce the simplest fabrication process for Josephson junctions, reducing complexity and improving device consistency for quantum technology applications.

Findings

JJs with areas of 1-6 μm² can be reliably fabricated.

Junction resistance varies by ~2 orders of magnitude with oxidation conditions.

SQUIDs show reduced resistance variation and maintain performance after thermal cycling.

Abstract

A minimal method to fabricate Al/AlO$_x$/Al Josephson junctions (JJs) using photolithography and argon etching, before metallization and oxidation, is demonstrated. JJs with areas ranging from 1 to 6 $\mu$m$^2$ can be fabricated and, with the appropriate oxidation conditions, the junction resistance can be varied by $\sim$2 orders of magnitude. Transmission electron microscopy reveals the successful fabrication of JJs with few grain boundaries suggesting reduced energy loss from two-level-systems. Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) fabricated from this methodology exhibit reduced resistance variation over multiple chips, compared with electron beam lithography, and the devices can sustain repeated thermal cycles to 10 mK with the excellent flux response remaining unchanged. The quantum applications of this technology are demonstrated by embedding a SQUID resonator into a 3D cavity and parametrically amplifying low photon numbers with gains of $\sim$40 dB. This work establishes the simplest approach to fabricating JJs to date, and it could prove pivotal to the widespread utilization of superconducting circuit-based quantum technologies.