Sign- and magnitude-tunable coupler for superconducting flux qubits

We experimentally confirm the functionality of a coupling element for flux-based superconducting qubits, with a coupling strength J whose sign and magnitude can be tuned in situ. To measure the effective J, the ground state of a coupled two-qubit system has been mapped as a function of the local magnetic fields applied to each qubit. The state of the system is determined by directly reading out the individual qubits while tunneling is suppressed. These measurements demonstrate that J can be tuned from antiferromagnetic through zero to ferromagnetic.