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Scalable suppression of XY crosstalk by pulse-level control in superconducting quantum processors

Hui-Hang Chen1 and Chiao-Hsuan Wang1,2,3,*

  • *Contact author: chiaowang@phys.ntu.edu.tw

Phys. Rev. Applied 26, 034001 – Published 1 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/v8p3-qh5k

Abstract

As superconducting quantum processors continue to scale, high-performance quantum control becomes increasingly critical. In densely integrated architectures, unwanted interactions between nearby qubits give rise to crosstalk errors that limit operational performance. In particular, direct exchange-type (XY) interactions are typically minimized by designing large frequency detunings between neighboring qubits at the hardware level. However, frequency crowding in large-scale systems ultimately restricts the achievable frequency separation. While such XY coupling facilitates entangling gate operations, its residual presence poses a key challenge during single-qubit controls. Here, we propose a scalable pulse-level control framework, incorporating frequency modulation and dynamical decoupling to suppress XY crosstalk errors. This framework operates independently of coupling strengths, reducing calibration overhead and naturally supporting multiqubit connectivity. Numerical simulations show orders-of-magnitude reductions in infidelity for both idle and single-qubit gates in a two-qubit system. We further illustrate scalability in a five-qubit layout, where crosstalk between a central qubit and four neighbors is simultaneously suppressed. Our crosstalk suppression framework provides a practical route toward high-fidelity operation in dense superconducting architectures.

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