Argonne and UIUC Demonstrate First On-Chip Coupling of Propagating Spin Waves to Superconducting Circuits
quantumcomputingreport.com Oct 15, 2026

Argonne and UIUC Demonstrate First On-Chip Coupling of Propagating Spin Waves to Superconducting Circuits

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Argonne National Laboratory and UIUC scientists have fabricated the first on‑chip hybrid circuit that couples propagating spin waves in a yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film to a niobium nitride superconducting resonator. The device, built on a rare‑earth‑free YSGG substrate, achieves strong coupling between microwave photons and Damon‑Eshbach and backward‑volume spin‑wave modes, delivering 4 dB power isolation at the degenerate transmission peak. This architecture demonstrates a compact, magnet‑free microwave isolator that protects quantum circuits from back‑leakage noise.

💡 Why It Matters

  • · By integrating nonreciprocal spin‑wave propagation directly onto superconducting chips, the work eliminates bulky external magnets, paving the way for scalable, low‑noise quantum interconnects.