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arXiv:1610.07987 · Journal of Applied Physics

Josephson junction microwave modulators for qubit control

O. Naaman, J. A. Strong, D. G. Ferguson, J. Egan, N. Bailey, R. T. Hinkey

Published Feb 21, 2017• 36 citations
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Abstract

We demonstrate Josephson junction based double-balanced mixer and phase shifter circuits operating at 6–10 GHz and integrate these components to implement both a monolithic amplitude/phase vector modulator and an I/Q quadrature mixer. The devices are actuated by flux signals, dissipate no power on chip, exhibit input saturation powers in excess of 1 nW, and provide cryogenic microwave modulation solutions for integrated control of superconducting qubits.

DOI
10.1063/1.4976809

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We demonstrate Josephson junction based double-balanced mixer and phase shifter circuits operating at 6–10 GHz and integrate these components to implement both a monolithic amplitude/phase vector modulator and an I/Q quadrature mixer. The devices are actuated by flux signals, dissipate no power on chip, exhibit input saturation powers in excess of 1 nW, and provide cryogenic microwave modulation solutions for integrated control of superconducting qubits.
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Readout and control of qubits are limiting factors in scaling quantum computers. An ideal solution is to integrate energy-efficient cryogenic circuits close to the qubits to perform control and pre-processing tasks. With orders of magnitude lower power consumption and hence lower noise, Single Flux Quantum (SFQ) and Adiabatic Quantum Flux Parametron (AQFP) superconductor logic families can reach ultimate performance at cryogenic temperatures. We have created a superconductor-based on-chip function generator to control qubits. The generated signal is modulated up to tens of GHz based on the external input waveform applied to the superconductor mixer stage. This circuit works at 4.2K. A radiofrequency (RF) matching circuit transmits the signal to the ~mK stage after digital amplification and noise reduction.
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Scaling quantum processors requires cryogenic microwave components to minimize thermal load and wiring complexity. However, conventional microwave components such as mixers and phase shifters perform poorly at millikelvin temperatures. Here, we report an SrTiO 3 (STO)-based microwave frequency mixer and phase shifter operating at sub-Kelvin temperatures. Utilizing the effective χ (2) nonlinearity of STO in the quantum paraelectric state, induced by a static or oscillating field, we achieve efficient microwave frequency mixing. Our device features an aluminum superconducting coplanar waveguide resonator on STO, which resonantly enhances mixing characteristics. The exceptionally high field-tunable dielectric constant of STO—approximately 30,000—allows for highly compact architectures and facilitates voltage-controlled phase shifting. Furthermore, we demonstrate multi-tone frequency mixing via phase modulation, facilitating spectral filtering and shaping. These STO-based devices provide a transformative approach to the generation of intricate microwave waveforms, tailoring control and readout signals in multi-qubit systems and paving the way for co-located quantum-classical integration.
We present a microwave amplitude/phase modulation device based on superconducting resonator and synthetic transmission line technology. The primary benefits of this device are agile frequency response for modulation over a 2 GHz bandwidth, low power dissipation and potential for integration with superconducting qubits and high-speed SFQ logic. This device demonstrates phase modulation of>90∘>90^{\circ}>90∘, and amplitude modulation of≈30 dB\approx 30\ {\rm dB}≈30 dBin a 2 GHz local oscillator bandwidth. We also show modulation of a 3.5 GHz microwave signal by a Gaussian pulse withσ≈4 ns\sigma\approx 4\ {\rm ns}σ≈4 ns. The targeted application of this technology is for low power microwave pulse generation for qubit applications. In this paper we present results for the modulator and introduce potential applications in quantum computing.