Understanding the tantalizing benefits of tantalum for improved quantum processors

https://phys.org/news/2023-05-tantalizing-benefits-tantalum-quantum-processors.html

"Tantalum dense, easy to work with, high melting point, resistant to corrosion and superconductor... Tantalum-based superconducting qubits lifetimes >half ms... The team found several different kinds of tantalum oxides at the surface of the tantalum, which has prompted a new set of questions on the path to creating better superconducting qubits"

Related: Bures and Sjöqvist metrics over thermal state manifolds for spin qubits and superconducting flux qubits

https://phys.org/news/2023-07-bures-sjqvist-metrics-thermal-state.html