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IEEE All-Russian Microwave Conference (RMC)

Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifier

Aleksandr Lomonosov, R. K. Kozulin, Roman Kubrakov, Lyudmila V. Filippenko, Mikhail Yu. Fominskii, Michael A. Tarasov

Published Nov 25, 2024• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study of samples of Josephson traveling wave parametric amplifiers (JTWPA) based on a three-layer superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) type structure: Nb/ AI-OxlNb. The unit cell of the studied amplifiers was a SNAIL type element (Superconducting Nonlinear Asymmetric Inductive eLements) representing the nonlinear inductance of one or more SIS junctions and the kinetic inductance of four larger SIS junctions. The transmission spectra of the samples were measured at temperatures of$4.2K$and$2.8K$at frequency range of 0.1-6 GHz.

DOI
10.1109/rmc62880.2024.10845910

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This article presents the results of a study of samples of Josephson traveling wave parametric amplifiers (JTWPA) based on a three-layer superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) type structure: Nb/ AI-OxlNb. The unit cell of the studied amplifiers was a SNAIL type element (Superconducting Nonlinear Asymmetric Inductive eLements) representing the nonlinear inductance of one or more SIS junctions and the kinetic inductance of four larger SIS junctions. The transmission spectra of the samples were measured at temperatures of4.2K4.2K4.2Kand2.8K2.8K2.8Kat frequency range of 0.1-6 GHz.
Abstract Josephson traveling wave parametric amplifiers can have high gain and wide frequency range, high sensitivity, and low noise, which makes them promising for quantum computing, array receiver readout systems, spectroscopy, single-photon detectors, etc. In this paper, the authors investigate samples of traveling wave parametric amplifiers based on a three-layer Nb/AlO x /Nb superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) structure with a SNAIL (Superconducting Nonlinear Asymmetric Inductive Elements) series array. Each SNAIL cell consists of the kinetic inductance of four SIS junctions and the nonlinear inductance of a smaller SIS junction. The cells are alternately connected in antiphase with respect to the magnetic flux, which ensures a change in the sign of the Kerr nonlinearity and a reduction in the phase mismatch for the pump frequency, signal frequency, and idler frequency. The transmission spectra of the samples were measured at temperatures of 4.2 and 2.8 K in the frequency range of 0.1–6 GHz.
The issues of designing a Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier (JTWPA) based on a well-established technology of superconducting microcircuits with given and controlled parameters based on high-quality Nb-AlOx-Nb tunnel junctions are considered. This technology has been adapted and optimized to obtain structures with the required parameters and circuits with large number of tunnel junctions. To advance the technology, the basic elements of a promising JTWPA have been devel-oped, manufactured and studied. In direct current measurements, a number of super-conducting elements parameters were experimentally determined; these parameters are required for designing a JTWPA chips for microwave measurements. An original design of JTWPA based on a chain of SQUIDs in a coplanar line has been developed for implementation using the IRE niobium technology; the parameters of the main elements of the JTWPA have been determined. Keywords: Josephson travelling-wave parametric amplifiers (JTWPA), Josephson metamaterials (JMM), Josephson junctions (JJs), cold amplifier, coplanar lines, quantum noise, SIS, SQUIDs.
Josephson junction based parametric amplifiers are used to read out the state of superconducting qubits with high fidelity. These amplifiers are themselves superconducting circuits operating at temperatures of tens of millikelvin. A version of this type of amplifier which has exhibited large bandwidth and saturation power is the Josephson traveling wave parametric amplifier (JTWPA). One particular JTWPA topology consists of hundreds to thousands of Josephson junctions in a transmission line configuration along with periodic phase matching resonators to increase gain. Here, we look at using a superconducting qubit fabrication process to realize this circuit To analyze the sensitivity of the JTWPA to fabrication process variation, we discuss a linear model for the circuit which takes into account unit cell to unit cell variation. To extract the measured circuit values, we use in-situ measurements of a JTWPA to compare the designed values to the realized values. Finally we discuss preliminary results realizing an example JTWPA design using a fabrication process designed for superconducting qubits.
Abstract Traveling wave parametric amplifiers (TWPAs) are extensively employed in experiments involving weak microwave signals for their highly desirable quantum-limited and broadband characteristics. However, TWPAs’ broadband nature comes with the disadvantage of admitting the activation of spurious nonlinear processes, such as harmonics generation, that can potentially degrade amplification performance. Here we experimentally investigate a Josephson TWPA device with superconducting nonlinear asymmetric inductive element-based unit cells focusing on the amplification behaviour along with the generation of second and third harmonics of the pump. By comparing experimental results with transient numerical simulations, we demonstrate the influence of Josephson junctions’ fabrication imperfections on the occurrence of harmonics and on the gain behaviour.
Abstract The issues of designing a Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier (JTWPA) based on a well-established technology of superconducting microcircuits with given and controlled parameters based on high-quality Nb–AlOx–Nb tunnel junctions are considered. This technology has been adapted and optimized to obtain structures with the required parameters and circuits with large number of tunnel junctions. To advance the technology, the basic elements of a promising JTWPA have been developed, manufactured and studied. In direct current measurements, a number of superconducting elements parameters were experimentally determined; these parameters are required for designing a JTWPA chips for microwave measurements. An original design of JTWPA based on a chain of SQUIDs in a coplanar line has been developed for implementation using niobium technology of the Kotel’nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Russian Academy of Sciences. The parameters of the main elements of the JTWPA have been determined.
Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifiers (JTWPAs) are largely exploited in quantum technologies for their broadband and low noise performance in the microwave regime. When one or more microwave tones are applied at the input, such devices show a complex wave-mixing response due to their intrinsic nonlinear nature. Numerical simulations of the JTWPAs nonlinear behaviour provide useful insights not only for the design of such devices, but also for the interpretation and validation of the experimental results. Here we present and discuss a comparative analysis of different open-source tools which can be used for JTWPAs numerical simulations. We focus on two tools for transient simulations, WRSPICE and PSCAN2, and on one tool for direct simulation of the frequency domain behaviour, JosephsonCircuit.jl. We describe the working principle of these three tools and test them considering as a benchmark a JTWPA based on SNAILs (Superconducting Nonlinear Asymmetric Inductive eLement) with realistic experimental parameters. Our results can serve as a guide for numerical simulations of JTWPAs with open-source tools, highlighting advantages and disadvantages depending on the simulation tasks.