Challenges, Constraints, and Approaches for Readout of State-of-the-Art Superconducting Quantum Processors

Superconducting qubits are a leading platform for realizing fault-tolerant quantum computers. Current generations demonstrate fast, high fidelity quantum gates and readout on the order of hundreds of nanoseconds, while maintaining coherence times exceeding one hundred microseconds. Achieving this state-of-the-art performance requires a tight co-design, balancing fundamental physics, microwave engineering, and semiconductor fabrication. Readout designs, in particular, benefit from this multidisciplinary approach.
In this talk, we discuss the current challenges for readout in superconducting quantum processors from the perspective of Google Quantum AI. We examine the intersection of device physics and microwave engineering constraints, illustrating how optimizing both is essential for scaling next-generation quantum systems.