Slow noise processes in superconducting resonators

Abstract

Slow noise processes, with characteristic timescales $\ensuremath{\sim}$1 s, have been studied in planar superconducting resonators. A frequency-locked loop is employed to track deviations of the resonator center frequency with high precision and bandwidth. Comparative measurements are made in varying microwave drive and temperature, and between bare resonators and those with an additional dielectric layer. All resonators are found to exhibit flicker frequency noise which increases with decreasing microwave drive. We also show that an increase in temperature results in a saturation of flicker noise in resonators with an additional dielectric layer, while bare resonators stop exhibiting flicker noise, instead showing a random frequency walk process.