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Despite mounting evidence that materials imperfections are a major obstacleto practical applications of superconducting qubits, connections betweenmicroscopic material properties and qubit coherence are poorly understood.Here, we perform measurements of transmon qubit relaxation times $T_1$ inparallel with spectroscopy and microscopy of the thin polycrystalline niobiumfilms used in qubit fabrication. By comparing results for films deposited usingthree techniques, we reveal correlations between $T_1$ and grain size, enhancedoxygen diffusion along grain boundaries, and the concentration of suboxidesnear the surface. Physical mechanisms connect these microscopic properties toresidual surface resistance and $T_1$ through losses arising from the grainboundaries and from defects in the suboxides. Further, experiments show thatthe residual resistance ratio can be used as a figure of merit for qubitlifetime. This comprehensive approach to understanding qubit decoherence chartsa pathway for materials-driven improvements of superconducting qubitperformance.

Microscopic Relaxation Channels in Materials for Superconducting Qubits