A standard etching tool and basic light-based printing are all it takes to build the core components of a quantum computer.
April 29, 2026
Original Paper
A simple method to fabricate Josephson junctions
arXiv · 2604.25195
The Takeaway
Josephson junctions are the essential transistors for superconducting quantum computers, but they normally require extremely expensive and slow electron-beam lithography. This new method uses photolithography and argon etching to produce junctions that are actually more consistent than those made with traditional methods. It drastically simplifies the manufacturing process, making it easier to scale up from a few qubits to thousands. Reducing the variation in electrical resistance across these junctions is vital for making quantum chips reliable. This development could break the manufacturing bottleneck that currently prevents quantum computers from reaching commercial scale.
From the abstract
A minimal method to fabricate Al/AlO$_x$/Al Josephson junctions (JJs) using photolithography and argon etching, before metallization and oxidation, is demonstrated. JJs with areas ranging from 1 to 6 $\mu$m$^2$ can be fabricated and, with the appropriate oxidation conditions, the junction resistance can be varied by $\sim$2 orders of magnitude. Transmission electron microscopy reveals the successful fabrication of JJs with few grain boundaries suggesting reduced energy loss from two-level-system