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Characterization of Drive-Induced Unwanted State Transitions in Superconducting Circuits

W. Dai*,†,∥∥, S. Hazra*,‡,¶¶, D. K. Weiss*,§,***, P. D. Kurilovich, T. Connolly, H. K. Babla, S. Singh∥, V. R. Joshi, A. Z. Ding** et al.

P. D. Parakh††, J. Venkatraman‡‡, X. Xiao, L. Frunzio, and M. H. Devoret§§,††††

  • Department of Physics and Applied Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA and Yale Quantum Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: wei.dai.wd279@yale.edu
  • ‡Contact author: sumeru.hazra@yale.edu
  • §Contact author: daniel.weiss@yale.edu
  • ∥Present address: IBM Quantum, Yorktown Heights, New York, USA.
  • Present address: Microsoft, Redmond, Washington, USA.
  • **Present address: AWS Center for Quantum Computing, Pasadena, California, USA.
  • ††Present address: Stanford University, California, USA.
  • ‡‡Present address: University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.
  • §§Contact author: michel.devoret@yale.edu
  • ∥∥Present address: Quantum Machines, USA.
  • ¶¶Present address: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Germany.
  • ***Present address: Quantum Circuits Inc., New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
  • ††††Present address: Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA and Google Quantum AI, Santa Barbara, California, USA.
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Phys. Rev. X 16, 011011 – Published 15 January, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/zdpg-mhpc

Abstract

Microwave drives are essential for implementing control and readout operations in superconducting quantum circuits. However, increasing the drive strength eventually leads to unwanted state transitions which limit the speed and fidelity of such operations. In this work, we systematically investigate such transitions in a fixed-frequency qubit subjected to microwave drives spanning a 9-GHz frequency range. We identify the physical origins of these transitions and classify them into three categories: (1) resonant energy exchange with parasitic two-level systems (TLSs), activated by drive-induced ac-Stark shifts, (2) multiphoton transitions to noncomputational states, intrinsic to the circuit Hamiltonian, and (3) inelastic scattering processes in which the drive causes a state transition in the superconducting circuit, while transferring excess energy to a spurious electromagnetic mode or TLS material defect. We show that the Floquet steady-state simulation, complemented by an electromagnetic simulation of the physical device, accurately predicts the observed transitions that do not involve TLS. Our results provide a comprehensive classification of these transitions and offer mitigation strategies through informed choices of drive frequency as well as improved circuit design.

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Popular Summary

Microwave drives are essential for high-fidelity control and readout in superconducting circuits, yet increasing drive strength eventually triggers drive-induced unwanted state transitions that limit operation speed and fidelity. We systematically investigate these transitions in a fixed-frequency transmon across a wide frequency range, categorizing them into three physical mechanisms: resonant exchange with parasitic two-level systems (TLS) activated by ac-Stark shifts, intrinsic multiphoton transitions to noncomputational states, and inelastic scattering processes that transfer energy to spurious electromagnetic modes or TLS defects. We demonstrate that Floquet steady-state simulations, combined with electromagnetic modeling, accurately predict transitions not involving material defects. These results provide a comprehensive classification and layered mitigation strategies, such as informed drive-frequency selection and improved rf engineering, to suppress errors. This framework establishes a foundation for identifying and avoiding deleterious transitions, which is crucial for advancing high-fidelity operations in large-scale quantum information processing.

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Phys. Rev. X 16, 011011– Published 15 January, 2026
  • Received 5 August 2025
  • Revised 17 November 2025
  • Accepted 17 December 2025
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