Aluminum air bridges for superconducting quantum devices realized using a single step electron-beam lithography process

Abstract: In superconducting quantum devices, air bridges enable increased circuit complexity and density as well as mitigate the risk of microwave loss arising from mode mixing. We implement aluminum air bridges using a simple process based on single-step electron-beam gradient exposure. The resulting bridges have sizes ranging from $20~\mu m$ to $100~\mu m$, with a yield exceeding $99~\%$ for lengths up to $36~\mu m$. When used to connect ground planes in coplanar waveguide resonators, the induced loss contributed to the system is negligible, corresponding to a reduction of the quality factor exceeding $1.0\times10^8$ per bridge. The bridge process is compatible with Josephson junctions and allows for the simultaneous creation of low loss bandages between superconducting layers.