Colloquium : Decoherence of solid-state spin qubits: A computational perspective

Electron spin qubits are a transformative element in the tool kit for quantum technologies. Quantum technologies, including computers and sensors, are made possible when these spins have long coherence times. This Colloquium focuses on the growing confidence with which these coherence times can be predicted using a0{0ex}b i0{0ex}n0{0ex}i0{0ex}t0{0ex}i0{0ex}o methods. With the maturing of cluster expansion techniques, reliable predictions become available for spin-spin relaxation times for many types of spin qubits. Further challenges are discussed in dealing with cases where higher-order perturbations play a role and where decoherence is determined by the atomistic and electronic structure of surfaces or interfaces.