IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,619,899
Granted Patent B2
US 12,619,899 · App. 18/046,470 · Granted May 5, 2026

Laser on-demand scrambling of two-level systems in superconducting qubits

Inventors: Abram L. Falk (Port Chester, NY); Martin O. Sandberg (Ossining, NY); Karthik Balakrishnan (Scarsdale, NY); Oliver Dial (Yorktown Heights, NY); Jason S. Orcutt (Katonah, NY)
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
G06N10/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,619,899
App. No.
18/046,470
Filed
Oct 13, 2022
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2851
USPC
716/100
Abstract

Methods and systems for mitigating the effects of defects in a quantum processor are provided. A mitigation system uses an iterative process of applying light pulses and examining qubit relaxation times to eliminate or minimize two-level system (TLS) interaction with qubits. The system applies a first light pulse to illuminate a quantum processor having one or more qubits. The system receives qubit relaxation times that are measured at different electric field frequencies after applying the first light pulse. The system applies a second light pulse to illuminate the quantum processor upon determining that the received qubit relaxation times indicates presence of a strongly coupled TLS in the quantum processor.

Claims (38)

1 . A method comprising:

applying a first light pulse to illuminate a quantum processor comprising one or more qubits;

receiving qubit relaxation times that are measured at different qubit frequencies after applying the first light pulse; and

applying a second light pulse to illuminate the quantum processor upon determining that the received qubit relaxation times indicates presence of a strongly coupled two-level system (TLS) in the quantum processor, wherein the presence of strongly coupled TLS in the quantum processor is indicated by a received qubit relaxation time being less than a threshold ratio of an expected qubit relaxation time at a frequency of interest.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second the light pulses scrambles a frequency landscape of the TLSs, the frequency landscape comprising the received qubit relaxation times measured at different qubit frequencies.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold ratio is 0.75.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving performance parameters of one or more qubits in the quantum processor to identify a qubit that fails to meet a performance threshold, wherein the received qubit relaxation times comprises relaxation times of the identified qubit.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and second light pulses are local to the identified qubit.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second light pulses are global to the quantum processor and illuminate multiple qubits in the quantum processor.

7 . A computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory storage devices, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising sets of instructions for:

applying a first light pulse to illuminate a quantum processor comprising one or more qubits;

receiving qubit relaxation times that are measured at different qubit frequencies after applying the first light pulse; and

applying a second light pulse to illuminate the quantum processor upon determining that the received qubit relaxation times indicates presence of a strongly coupled two-level system (TLS) in the quantum processor, wherein the presence of strongly coupled TLS in the quantum processor is indicated by a received qubit relaxation time being less than a threshold ratio of an expected qubit relaxation time at a frequency of interest.

8 . The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first or second light pulses is used to scramble a frequency landscape of the TLSs, the frequency landscape comprising the received qubit relaxation times measured at different qubit frequencies.

9 . The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the threshold ratio is 0.75.

10 . The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the sets of instructions further comprise receiving performance parameters of one or more qubits in the quantum processor to identify a qubit that fails to meet a performance threshold, wherein the received qubit relaxation times comprises relaxation times of the identified qubit.

11 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the first and second light pulses are local to the identified qubit and illuminate only the identified qubit and no other qubit.

12 . The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the first and second light pulses are global to the quantum processor and illuminate multiple qubits in the quantum processor.

13 . A system comprising:

a quantum processor comprising one or more qubits;

a two-level system (TLS) mitigation controller configured to perform acts comprising:

applying a first light pulse to illuminate a quantum processor comprising one or more qubits;

receiving qubit relaxation times that are measured at different qubit frequencies after applying the first light pulse; and

applying a second light pulse to illuminate the quantum processor upon determining that the received qubit relaxation times indicates presence of a strongly coupled TLS in the quantum processor, wherein the presence of strongly coupled TLS in the quantum processor is indicated by a received qubit relaxation time being less than a threshold ratio of an expected qubit relaxation time at a frequency of interest.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first or second the light pulses is used to scramble a frequency landscape of the TLS in the quantum processor, the frequency landscape comprising the received qubit relaxation times measured at different qubit frequencies.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the threshold ratio is 0.75.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the acts further comprise receiving performance parameters of one or more qubits in the quantum processor to identify a qubit that fails to meet a performance threshold, wherein the received qubit relaxation times comprises relaxation times of the identified qubit.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second light pulses is local to the identified qubit and illuminate only the identified qubit and no other qubit.

18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second light pulses are global to the quantum processor and illuminate multiple qubits in the quantum processor.

19 . A method comprising:

providing a quantum processor comprising one or more qubits;

configuring a two-level system (TLS) mitigation controller to perform acts comprising:

applying a first light pulse to illuminate a quantum processor comprising one or more qubits;

receiving qubit relaxation times that are measured at different electric field frequencies after applying the first light pulse; and

applying a second light pulse to illuminate the quantum processor upon determining that the received qubit relaxation times indicates presence of a strongly coupled TLS in the quantum processor wherein the presence of strongly coupled TLS in the quantum processor is indicated by a received qubit relaxation time being less than a threshold ratio of an expected qubit relaxation time at a frequency of interest.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the threshold ratio is 0.75.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the acts further comprise receiving performance parameters of one or more qubits in the quantum processor to identify a qubit that fails to meet a performance threshold, wherein the received qubit relaxation times comprises relaxation times of the identified qubit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: FALK, ABRAM L.; SANDBERG, MARTIN O.; BALAKRISHNAN, KARTHIK; DIAL, OLIVER; ORCUTT, JASON S.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061418/0859 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240127097A1 · Apr 18, 2024
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