Improving the performance of superconducting microwave resonators in magnetic fields

The operation of superconducting coplanar waveguide cavities, as used for circuit quantum electrodynamics and kinetic inductance detectors, in perpendicular magnetic fields normally leads to a reduction in the device performance due to energy dissipating Abrikosov vortices. We experimentally investigate the vortex induced energy losses in such Nb resonators with different spatial distributions of micropatterned pinning sites (antidots) by transmission spectroscopy measurements at 4.2 K. In comparison to resonators without antidots we find a significant reduction in vortex induced losses, and thus increased quality factors over a broad range of frequencies and applied powers in moderate fields. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3560480]