• Accepted Paper

Resolving buried coordination heterogeneity in Al/AlOx/Al Josephson junctions

Paul Corbae, Alex Abelson, Shivani Srivastava, Heemin Lee, Bevin Huang, Lyrik R-J Lee, Davis B. Rash, Cheng-Tai Kuo, Donghui Lu, Mihir Pendharkar, Loren D. Alegria, Tian T. Li, Keith G. Ray, Shannon P. Harvey, Apurva Mehta, David I. Schuster, Vincenzo Lordi, Paul B. Welander, and Jun-Sik Lee

Phys. Rev. Applied - Accepted 18 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/lvjh-dxr8

Abstract

Decoherence remains a critical obstacle to achieving high-fidelity, scalable superconducting qubits, with the tunnel barrier of Josephson junctions a key source of loss, yet the microscopic structure of this buried layer has remained difficult to probe experimentally. Here, we use resonant X-ray reflectivity to resolve the coordination environments within the AlOx barrier of Al/AlOx/Al Josephson junctions as a function of oxidation conditions. We find that the barrier coordination evolves from more tetrahedral toward octahedral character with increasing oxidation pressure, while the lower metal–oxide interface is comparatively under-coordinated and disordered relative to the upper interface. Comparison with simulated X-ray absorption spectra identifies the dominant coordination motifs within the oxide and at its interfaces, providing depth-resolved structural insight that informs microscopic models of two-level system formation. These results link growth conditions, local coordination environments, and junction electronic properties, providing a materials-level foundation for interpreting how the tunnel barrier influences coherence in superconducting qubits.

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