Radiation effects on superconducting devices, circuits, and qubits. Bridging classical electronics hardness and quantum coherence requirements

Radiation effects in electronic systems have been extensively studied within the context of classical micro- and nano-electronics, enabling reliable operation in space, nuclear, and other harsh environments through well-established concepts such as total ionizing dose, displacement damage, and single-event effects. Superconducting quantum technologies, however, operate in a fundamentally different regime, relying on macroscopic quantum coherence at millikelvin temperatures and energy scales many orders of magnitude smaller than those associated with ionizing radiation. Recent experiments have revealed that even rare radiation events, originating from cosmic rays or natural radioactivity, can generate quasiparticle bursts and non-equilibrium phonons, leading to decoherence and spatially correlated errors across multiple qubits. These phenomena challenge classical notions of radiation hardness and locality that underpin conventional mitigation strategies. This perspective bridges decades of radiation-effects knowledge from classical electronics with emerging insights from superconducting quantum devices, circuits, and qubits. The limitations of directly translating classical radiation-hardness concepts to quantum hardware and examining radiation interactions with superconducting materials and Josephson junctions are highlighted, and the distinct implications for quantum computing vs quantum sensing are discussed. Finally, critical gaps in testing, modeling, and multiscale simulation methodologies are identified, outlining directions toward radiation-aware quantum engineering that integrate materials science, device physics, and system-level design to enable robust, deployable quantum technologies.