Superconducting qubits can be sensitive to abrupt energy deposits caused by cosmic rays and ambient radioactivity. While previous studies have explored correlated effects in time and space due to cosmic ray interactions, we present the first direct comparison of a transmon qubit's performance measured at two distinct sites: the above-ground SQMS facility (Fermilab, US) and the deep-underground Gran Sasso Laboratory (Italy). Despite the stark difference in radiation levels, we observe a similar average qubit relaxation time of approximately 80 microseconds at both locations. To further investigate potential radiation-induced events, we employ a fast decay detection protocol, comparing the relative rates of triggered events between the two environments. Although intrinsic noise remains the dominant source of single errors in superconducting qubits, our analysis revealed a significant excess of radiation-induced events for high-coherence transmon qubits operated above-ground. Finally, using γ-ray sources with increasing activity levels, we evaluate the qubit response in a controlled low-background environment.
@article{arxiv.2405.18355,
title = {Evaluating radiation impact on transmon qubits in above and underground facilities},
author = {Francesco De Dominicis and Tanay Roy and Ambra Mariani and Mustafa Bal and Camilla Bonomo and Nicola Casali and Ivan Colantoni and Francesco Crisa and Angelo Cruciani and Fernando Ferroni and Dounia L Helis and Lorenzo Pagnanini and Valerio Pettinacci and Roman Pilipenko and Stefano Pirro and Andrei Puiu and Alberto Ressa and Alexander Romanenko and Marco Vignati and David v Zanten and Shaojiang Zhu and Anna Grassellino and Laura Cardani},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2405.18355},
year = {2025}
}