Abstract: A method for producing a sputtered stoichiometric a-Al2O3 thin film. A substrate is placed into a chamber containing an Al target to be sputtered. The chamber is evacuated to a base pressure of about 7×10?8 Torr or lower and the temperature of the substrate is maintained. With a sputtering shutter in the chamber closed, Ar gas is flowed into the chamber to backsputter the Al target and Ar and O2 gases are flowed into the chamber to presputter the target. The shutter is opened and Al is sputtered onto the substrate in the presence of the Ar and O2 gases to obtain a sputtered a-Al2O3 film on the substrate.

Abstract: A method for quantum-assisted machine learning includes encoding, by processing circuitry, classical data into a plurality of quantum states by applying the classical data to an encoding map, and training a quantum model based on the plurality of quantum states. The quantum model may have a tensor network structure. The method may also include compiling, by the processing circuitry, the quantum model into a quantum circuit by mapping virtual qubits onto hardware qubits of a quantum hardware device, the quantum circuit including a sequence of operations tailored for operation on the quantum hardware device.

Abstract: A method for producing a sputtered stoichiometric a-Al2O3 thin film. A substrate is placed into a chamber containing an Al target to be sputtered. The chamber is evacuated to a base pressure of about 7×10?8 Torr or lower and the temperature of the substrate is maintained. With a sputtering shutter in the chamber closed, Ar gas is flowed into the chamber to backsputter the Al target and Ar and O2 gases are flowed into the chamber to presputter the target. The shutter is opened and Al is sputtered onto the substrate in the presence of the Ar and O2 gases to obtain a sputtered a-Al2O3 film on the substrate.

Abstract: A hydrogen-free amorphous dielectric insulating film having a high material density and a low density of tunneling states. The film is prepared by deposition of a dielectric material on a substrate having a high substrate temperature Tsub under high vacuum and at a controlled low deposition rate. In one embodiment, the film is amorphous silicon while in another embodiment the film is amorphous germanium.

Abstract: A hydrogen-free amorphous dielectric insulating film having a high material density and a low density of tunneling states. The film is prepared by deposition of a dielectric material on a substrate having a high substrate temperature Tsub under high vacuum and at a controlled low deposition rate. In one embodiment, the film is amorphous silicon while in another embodiment the film is amorphous germanium.