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arXiv:2501.09453 · Physical Review Applied

Nonreciprocal scattering in a microwave frequency comb

Christoph L. Bock, J. C. Rivera Hernández, Fabio Lingua, David B. Haviland

Published Jun 20, 2025• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We investigate nonreciprocal scattering within the modes of a microwave frequency comb. Adjusting the pump frequencies, amplitudes, and phases of a Josephson parametric oscillator, we control constructive interference for the m ⟶ ℓ scattering processes, while concurrently achieving destructive interference for the inverse process ℓ ⟶ m . We outline the methodology for realizing nonreciprocity in the context of two-mode isolation and a three-mode circulation, which we extend to multiple modes. We find good agreement between the experiments and a linearized theoretical model. Nonreciprocal scattering expands the toolset for parametric control, with the potential to engineer alternative quantum correlations.

DOI
10.1103/kz53-dryz

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We investigate nonreciprocal scattering within the modes of a microwave frequency comb. Adjusting the pump frequencies, amplitudes, and phases of a Josephson parametric oscillator, we control constructive interference for the m ⟶ ℓ scattering processes, while concurrently achieving destructive interference for the inverse process ℓ ⟶ m . We outline the methodology for realizing nonreciprocity in the context of two-mode isolation and a three-mode circulation, which we extend to multiple modes. We find good agreement between the experiments and a linearized theoretical model. Nonreciprocal scattering expands the toolset for parametric control, with the potential to engineer alternative quantum correlations.
Control over the coupling between multiple modes of a frequency comb is an important step toward measurement-based quantum computation with a continuous-variable system. We demonstrate the creation of square-ladder correlation graphs in a microwave comb with 95 modes. The graphs are engineered through precise control of the relative phase of three pumps applied to a Josephson parametric oscillator. Experimental measurement of the mode scattering matrix is in good agreement with theoretical predictions based on a linearized equation of motion of the parametric oscillator. The digital methods used to create and measure the correlations are easily scaled to more modes and more pumps, with the potential to tailor a specific correlation graph topology.
We present a method to calculate the frequency components of a pump waveform driving a parametric oscillator, which realizes a desired frequency mixing or scattering between modes. The method is validated by numerical analysis and we study its sensitivity to added Gaussian noise. A series of experiments apply the method and demonstrate its ability to realize complex scattering processes involving many modes at microwave frequencies, including non-reciprocal mode circulation. We also present an approximate method to dynamically control mode scattering, capable of rapidly routing signals between modes in a prescribed manner. These methods are useful tools for encoding and manipulating continuous variable quantum information with multi-modal Gaussian states.
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Significant progress has been made with multipartite entanglement of discrete qubits, but continuous variable systems may provide a more scalable path toward entanglement of large ensembles. We demonstrate multipartite entanglement in a microwave frequency comb generated by a Josephson parametric amplifier subject to a bichromatic pump. We find 64 correlated modes in the transmission line using a multifrequency digital signal processing platform. Full inseparability is verified in a subset of seven modes. Our method can be expanded to generate even more entangled modes in the near future.
This paper presents an on-chip nonreciprocal space-time-periodic Josephson frequency multiplier that up-converts a single low-frequency input tone into a comb of high-order harmonics while enforcing directional signal propagation along the bus. We show that the harmonic content and bandwidth of the generated comb can be controlled through the applied DC and RF flux bias, and that individual output channels can be selectively addressed by tuning the bus operating point. We characterize the resulting nonreciprocal isolation between channels and discuss the associated design trade-offs, including the influence of modulation depth on harmonic-generation efficiency and back-reflection. The proposed device delivers multiple mutually isolated frequency channels from a single low-frequency source and it is well suited to applications requiring multiplexed delivery of tones to spatially distributed, frequency-addressable loads; we discuss multiplexed control of superconducting qubits as one such potential application area. Master-equation simulations of a four-qubit array driven by the harmonic comb, together with a one-dimensional line model of the directional conversion, quantify the resulting crosstalk and directional asymmetry; all results are simulations, and no experimental demonstration is claimed. The proposed architecture offers a compact, integrated route toward on-chip frequency multiplexing and directional isolation for cryogenic microwave systems.
We investigate nondegenerate parametric oscillations in a superconducting microwave multimode resonator that is terminated by a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The parametric effect is achieved by modulating magnetic flux through the SQUID at a frequency close to the sum of two resonator-mode frequencies. For modulation amplitudes exceeding an instability threshold, self-sustained oscillations are observed in both modes. The amplitudes of these oscillations show good quantitative agreement with a theoretical model. The oscillation phases are found to be correlated and exhibit strong fluctuations which broaden the oscillation spectral linewidths. These linewidths are significantly reduced by applying a weak on-resonant tone, which also suppresses the phase fluctuations. When the weak tone is detuned, we observe synchronization of the oscillation frequency with the frequency of the input. For the detuned input, we also observe an emergence of three idlers in the output. This observation is in agreement with theory indicating four-mode amplification and squeezing of a coherent input.