Granted Patent
B2
US 12,367,412 · App. 17/782,261 · Granted Jul 22, 2025
Systems and methods for fabricating flux trap mitigating superconducting integrated circuits
Assignee:
1372934 B.C. LTD.
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Abstract
A system and method for mitigating flux trapping in a superconducting integrated circuit. A first metal layer is formed having a first critical temperature and a first device, and a flux directing layer is formed having a second critical temperature. The flux directing layer is positioned in communication with an aperture location, and the aperture location is spaced from the first device to isolate the first device from flux trapped in the aperture. The superconducting integrated circuit is cooled from a first temperature that is above both the first and second critical temperatures to a second temperature that is less than both the first and second critical temperatures by a cryogenic refrigerator. A relative temperature difference between the first and second critical temperatures causes the flux directing layer to direct flux away from the first device and trap flux at the aperture location.
Claims (24)
1. A superconducting integrated circuit comprising:
a first device, the first device comprising at least a portion of a first metal layer within the superconducting integrated circuit, the first metal layer comprising a first superconducting material having a first critical temperature;
a flux-trapping location spaced from the first device, the flux-trapping location positioned such that flux trapped within the flux-trapping location is isolated from the first device; and
a flux-directing layer comprising a superconducting material having a second critical temperature, the flux-directing layer positioned in communication with the flux-trapping location;
wherein the first critical temperature and the second critical temperature have a relative temperature difference, such that as the superconducting integrated circuit is cooled to a temperature that is less than both the first critical temperature and the second critical temperature, the flux is directed away from the first device and into the flux-directing layer, and the flux-directing layer directs and traps the flux within the flux-trapping location.
2. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a flux-trapping aperture at the flux-trapping location, wherein the flux-directing layer comprises an opening aligned with the flux-trapping aperture.
3. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 2 , wherein the flux-trapping aperture comprises one of a parallel-piped opening and a trough positioned within the superconducting integrated circuit.
4. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 1 , further comprising shielding that encloses the flux-trapping location.
5. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 4 , wherein the shielding comprises a plurality of superconducting stud vias.
6. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises one of a qubit and a coupler.
7. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first metal layer overlies at least a portion of the flux-directing layer, and wherein the first critical temperature is greater than the second critical temperature.
8. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 7 , further comprising one or more additional metal layers overlying at least a portion of the flux-directing layer, at least one of the one or more additional metal layers overlying the first metal layer and at least one of the one or more additional metal layers underlying the first metal layer, a critical temperature of each additional metal layer being greater than the second critical temperature, wherein the critical temperatures of the first metal layer, the one or more additional metal layers, and the flux-directing layer increase incrementally by layer from the flux-directing layer to an uppermost layer, wherein the uppermost layer is one of the one or more additional metal layers overlying all other ones of the one or more additional metal layers and the first metal layer.
9. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a second metal layer positioned adjacent to the first metal layer, the second metal layer comprising a shielding structure that shields the first device, the second metal layer comprising a superconducting material having a third critical temperature, wherein a relative temperature difference between the second critical temperature and the third critical temperature is selected to direct the flux away from the first device and into the flux-trapping location.
10. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 9 , wherein the first metal layer overlies at least a portion of the flux-directing layer, and wherein the second critical temperature is less than the third critical temperature.
11. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the flux-directing layer overlies at least a portion of the first metal layer.
12. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 11 , further comprising a second metal layer, the first metal layer overlying at least a portion of the second metal layer, the second metal layer comprising a shielding structure that shields the first device, the second metal layer comprising a superconducting material having a third critical temperature, and further comprising forming a base metal layer, the second metal layer overlying the base metal layer, the third critical temperature being greater than a critical temperature of the base metal layer, and the critical temperature of the base metal layer being greater than the second critical temperature.
13. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 11 , wherein the flux-directing layer comprises flux-trapping structures overlying at least a portion of the flux-trapping location.
14. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the flux-directing layer comprises high kinetic inductance material.
15. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first critical temperature is less than the second critical temperature.
16. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the flux-trapping location contains a second device, and the second device is a digital to analog converter.
17. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 13 , wherein flux-trapping structures include at least one moat.
18. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 14 , wherein at least 10% of energy stored in the high kinetic inductance material is stored as kinetic inductance.
19. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 14 , wherein a kinetic inductance fraction of the high kinetic inductance material is 0.1<α≤1.
20. The superconducting integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the flux-directing layer comprises at least one moat.
Assignments (9)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
Recorded Jun 16, 2025
From: RICH, CHRISTOPHER B.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 071421/0321 →
CHANGE OF NAME
Recorded Jun 16, 2025
From: DWSI HOLDINGS INC.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 071421/0773 →
MERGER
Recorded Jun 16, 2025
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.; DWSI HOLDINGS INC.
To: DWSI HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 071643/0513 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
Recorded Jun 16, 2025
From: HARRIS, RICHARD G.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 071681/0749 →
CONTINUATION
Recorded Jun 16, 2025
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 071681/0900 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
Recorded Jun 16, 2025
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
To: 1372929 B.C. LTD.
Reel/Frame 071689/0244 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
Recorded Jun 16, 2025
From: 1372929 B.C. LTD.
To: 1372934 B.C. LTD.
Reel/Frame 071689/0572 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST
Recorded Mar 11, 2025
From: PSPIB UNITAS INVESTMENTS II INC.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.; 1372934 B.C. LTD.
Reel/Frame 070470/0098 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT
Recorded Apr 14, 2023
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.; 1372934 B.C. LTD.
To: PSPIB UNITAS INVESTMENTS II INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 063340/0888 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application
62944143
· Dec 5, 2019
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WO 2009149086A2
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WO 2013180780A2
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WO 2016025598A1
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WO 2016183213A1
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WO 2017192733A2
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WO 2018144601A1
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WO 2019055002A1
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WO 2019179732A1
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WO 2020212437A1
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WO 2021231224A1
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