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IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE)

Super Heterodyne Mixer Front-End Module for Qubit Readout and Manipulation

R. Gartmann, Oliver Krömer, R.A. Weller, Nick Karcher, Luis Eduardo Ardila-Perez, Oliver Sander

Published Sep 15, 2024• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Superconducting quantum circuit interfacing frequently entails working with multi-GHz radio frequency signals. The quickly evolving field relies on FPGA-based software-defined radio systems, providing the required flexible low-latency signal synthesis and analysis capabilities. Consequently, there are many custom hardware developments and upcoming commercial systems with proprietary interfaces. In contrast, this contribution presents a compact, platform-agnostic frequency conversion and level matching analogue front-end for 800 MHz vector signal generation, which expands the covered frequency band for any SMA connectorised system from baseband frequencies below 400 MHz to 4–10 GHz. It is in active use for quantum bit characterisation and for quantum sensor readout.

DOI
10.1109/qce60285.2024.10408

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Superconducting quantum circuit interfacing frequently entails working with multi-GHz radio frequency signals. The quickly evolving field relies on FPGA-based software-defined radio systems, providing the required flexible low-latency signal synthesis and analysis capabilities. Consequently, there are many custom hardware developments and upcoming commercial systems with proprietary interfaces. In contrast, this contribution presents a compact, platform-agnostic frequency conversion and level matching analogue front-end for 800 MHz vector signal generation, which expands the covered frequency band for any SMA connectorised system from baseband frequencies below 400 MHz to 4–10 GHz. It is in active use for quantum bit characterisation and for quantum sensor readout.
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∏High-fidelity qubit operationGet the most out of your quantum device with the excellent spectral purity provided by super-heterodyne signal generation.∏Efficient workflows Operate at frequencies up to 8.5 GHz and free from mixer calibration to maximize system up-time.∏Turnkey feature set Accelerate quantum computer tune-up with rapid pulse reconfiguration and low-latency feedback.∏Scalable system approach Rely on accurate channel synchronization across your Zurich Instruments Quantum Computing Control System.Your BenefitsYour Qubits.Controlled.Meet the next generation of signal generators setting new standards for the control of superconducting qubits.
Superconducting qubits are pivotal in advancing quantum computing, poised for scale but limited by the complexity and fidelity of their control and readout systems, relying on RF and signal processing infrastructure. This survey serves as a comprehensive and technically grounded review of control and readout architectures tailored for superconducting qubits. Synthesizing insights from device physics, circuit design, microwave engineering, signal processing, and cryogenic integration, this work details the practicalities of RF pulse generation, signal synthesis, and readout signal analysis for quantum systems. it covers key requirements, parameters, and pulse engineering techniques, including commonly used envelopes like Gaussian and DRAG designs. Moving to the system level, this survey systematically classifies and critically analyses current architectural strategies (covering key areas like frequency conversion, waveform management, and system infrastructure) and technology platforms (including adaptive classical control stacks, cryogenic CMOS circuits, and novel interconnects and interfaces), evaluating their trade-offs in performance. Extensive literature analysis identifies prevailing limitations such as wiring complexity, thermal budget constraints, latency, and power consumption, while highlighting underexplored opportunities for on-chip signal processing and novel interconnects, drawing analogies to advanced communication systems design. By consolidating diverse control paradigms and critically evaluating their trade-offs, this survey provides a unified foundation for designing next-generation quantum control stacks. Finally, a forward-looking roadmap outlines key trends in monolithic integration, cryo-compatible digital architectures, and physics-informed hardware co-design, offering both a retrospective synthesis and a prospective vision for quantum hardware engineering beyond the NISQ era.
A massive quantum bits (qubits) array is required to mitigate gate error rates in order to realize a practical quantum computing system. An integrated broadband front-end module is employed for the readout of two transmon qubits using frequency division multiplexing (FDM) technology. The frontend module features a customized IQ up-conversion mixer, fabricated using a28−nm28-\text{nm}28−nmCMOS process, supporting an RF range of4−10GHz4-10 \text{GHz}4−10GHzwith a conversion gain of0.3±3 dB0.3 \pm 3 ~\text{dB}0.3±3 dBat 4 K. It achieves sufficient linearity with third-order intermodulation distortion (IM3) exceeding 45 dB and exhibits image rejection ratio (IRR) and LO rejection ratio (LORR) of 57 dB and 50 dB, respectively. The functionality of the front-end module is validated through the successful readout of two qubits. A readout fidelity of around 80 % is measured, consistent with the baseline result.
This thesis presents the development of a superconducting qubit control and readout system based on FPGA technology, with a focus on the design of a pulse sequencer and the integration of frequency-multiplexed control. The system leverages the Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit (QICK), an open-source Xilinx RFSoC-based platform capable of direct digital synthesis and acquisition of microwave signals up to 10 GHz. The QICK firmware was extended to support the simultaneous generation and readout of multiple frequency-multiplexed tones, enabling the control and measurement of several qubits coupled to a shared feedline. This approach optimizes the number of controllable qubits relative to the available ADC and DAC resources on the RFSoC 4x2 board. Furthermore, this work includes the development of Qubase, a Python-based pulse sequencer that allows users to easily define and execute complex sequences of control and measurement pulses through the QICK Python interface. The resulting architecture is both flexible and scalable, providing a foundation for efficient multi-qubit experiments and enabling advanced techniques such as quantum error correction and real-time feedback.