Airbridge for making connections on superconducting chip, and method for producing superconducting chips with airbridges

A superconducting chip, comprising:

• a substrate;
• on a surface of said substrate, a first superconductive area and a second superconductive area separated from said first superconductive area by a discontinuity;
• and
• an airbridge between said first superconductive area and said second superconductive area,
• wherein:
• the airbridge comprises a strip of superconductive material between said first superconductive area and said second superconductive area,
• a first end of said strip comprises a first planar end portion attached to and parallel with said first superconductive area,
• a second end of said strip comprises a second planar end portion attached to and parallel with said second superconductive area,
• said strip comprises a middle portion between said first and second planar end portions,
• said middle portion forms a bend away from a plane defined by the surfaces of the first and second superconductive areas, leaving an empty space between said middle portion and said plane,
• a first separation line separates the first planar end portion from the middle portion,
• a second separation line separates the second planar end portion from the middle portion, and
• at least one of said first and second separation lines is directed otherwise than transversally across said strip.

A method for producing a superconductive connection across a discontinuity between a first superconductive area and a second superconductive area of a superconducting chip, the method comprising using one or more thin film deposition methods to form a strip of superconductive material on top of said first and second superconductive areas and across said discontinuity, so that:

• a first end of said strip is made to comprise a first planar end portion attached to and parallel with said first superconductive area;
• a second end of said strip is made to comprise a second planar end portion attached to and parallel with said second superconductive area;
• said strip is made to comprise a middle portion between said first and second planar end portions;
• said middle portion is made to form a bend away from a plane defined by the surfaces of the first and second superconductive areas, leaving an empty space between said middle portion and said plane;
• and
• at least one of said first and second planar end portions is formed so that a respective separation line that separates that planar end portion from the middle portion is directed otherwise than transversally across said strip.