Speaker
Description
Interactions of cosmic rays and ionization radiation pose a significant challenge to the development and operation of state-of-the-art quantum devices such as superconducting quantum circuits. Shielded by 2km of rock overburden, the Cryogenic Underground TEst facility (CUTE) at SNOLAB provides a unique ultra-low radiation environment to probe the performance of quantum technologies with a particular interest in quantum coherence time studies. We present the findings of an extensive material assaying program in preparation for the first underground operation of superconducting qubits at SNOLAB. Monte-Carlo (Geant4) estimations of expected rates, energy spectra, and dominant interaction types of radioactive background sources and contaminants are presented for a proposed quantum device payload to be operated in CUTE. Finally, we outline how crystal dynamics simulations using the G4CMP solid state physics extension for Geant4 can inform the community-wide efforts to identify effective mitigation strategies following high-energy particle impacts.