Superconducting circuits for probing quantum materials

Advances in quantum technologies greatly rely on progress in quantitative understanding of material properties. Here we focus on probing coherent properties and decoherence channels of existing and new materials using superconducting quantum circuits – capitalizing on the precise control and detection of microwave photons offered by the circuit QED toolbox. I will describe our progress towards realizing a transmon-like qubit fabricated with superconductor-topological insulator-superconductor junctions. Spectroscopic and time-domain measurements of the TI-transmon could reveal coherent transport properties of the TI material at the single quantum level, and provide a general recipe for studying other quantum materials in the circuit platform. I will also briefly discuss other research efforts in our lab on analog quantum simulation of synthetic quantum materials using superconducting circuits.