Tunable hybrid-mode coupler enabling strong interactions between transmons at centimeter-scale distance
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Abstract
The transmon, a fabrication-friendly superconducting qubit, remains a leading candidate for scalable quantum computing. Recent advances in tunable couplers have accelerated progress toward high-performance quantum processors. However, extending coherent interactions beyond millimeter scales to enhance quantum connectivity presents a critical challenge. Here, we introduce a hybrid-mode coupler exploiting resonator-transmon hybridization to simultaneously engineer the two lowest-frequency mode, enabling high-contrast coupling between centimeter-scale transmons. For a 1-cm coupler, our framework predicts flux-tunable $XX$ and $ZZ$ coupling strengths reaching 23 MHz and 100 MHz, with modulation contrasts exceeding $10^2$ and $10^4$, respectively, demonstrating quantitative agreement with an effective two-channel model. This work provides an efficient pathway to mitigate the inherent connectivity constraints imposed by short-range interactions, enabling transmon-based architectures compatible with hardware-efficient quantum tasks.