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High-impedance granular-aluminum ring resonators

Mahya Khorramshahi1,*, Martin Spiecker1,2, Patrick Paluch1,2, Simon Geisert1, Nicolas Gosling1, Nicolas Zapata1, Lucas Brauch1, Christian Kübel3,4,5, Simone Dehm3 et al.

Ralph Krupke1,3, Wolfgang Wernsdorfer1,2, Ioan M. Pop1,2,6, and Thomas Reisinger1,†

  • *Contact author: mahya.khorramshahi@kit.edu
  • †Contact author: thomas.reisinger@kit.edu
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Phys. Rev. Applied 24, 024066 – Published 27 August, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/n73t-7q1n

Abstract

Superconducting inductors with impedance surpassing the resistance quantum, i.e., superinductors, are important for quantum technologies because they enable the development of protected qubits, enhance coupling to systems with small electric dipole moments, and facilitate the study of phase-slip physics. We demonstrate superinductors with densely packed meandered traces of granular aluminum (grAl) with inductances up to 4 µH, achieving impedances exceeding 100 kΩ in the 4–8 GHz range. Ring resonators made with grAl meandered superinductors exhibit quality factors on the order of 105 in the single-photon regime, and low nonlinearity on the order of tens of hertz. Depending on the grAl resistivity, at 10 Hz, we measure frequency-noise spectral densities in the range of 102–103Hz/Hz. In some devices, in the single-photon regime, we observe a positive Kerr coefficient of unknown origin. Using more complex fabrication, the devices could be released from the substrate, either freestanding or suspended on a membrane, thereby further improving their impedance by a factor of 3.

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Phys. Rev. Applied 24, 024066– Published 27 August, 2025
  • Received 22 February 2025
  • Revised 6 June 2025
  • Accepted 10 July 2025
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