Abstract Over the last two decades, the superconducting qubits have become a promising and rapidly growing area of research. However, there are specific challenges when working with such a delicate system. One of them is the qubit state readout. Since a very small signal (of the order of 1 photon) is used for the readout, its detection is challenging and it requires low-noise cryogenic amplifiers working in the 3–12 GHz frequency range. Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPAs) are one of the most studied and developed candidates. Currently, several JPA designs offer low noise performance and instantaneous bandwidth from tens of MHz to several GHz; they are also becoming an integral part of circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) setups. In the current work, results are presented of the measurements of a JPA made of a coplanar waveguide with an array of three SQUIDs. Nondegenerate amplification and an amplifier added noise being close to the quantum limit are demonstrated.
Abstract Over the last two decades, the superconducting qubits have become a promising and rapidly growing area of research. However, there are specific challenges when working with such a delicate system. One of them is the qubit state readout. Since a very small signal (of the order of 1 photon) is used for the readout, its detection is challenging and it requires low-noise cryogenic amplifiers working in the 3–12 GHz frequency range. Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPAs) are one of the most studied and developed candidates. Currently, several JPA designs offer low noise performance and instantaneous bandwidth from tens of MHz to several GHz; they are also becoming an integral part of circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) setups. In the current work, results are presented of the measurements of a JPA made of a coplanar waveguide with an array of three SQUIDs. Nondegenerate amplification and an amplifier added noise being close to the quantum limit are demonstrated.
Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPAs) with nearly quantum-limited noise performance have become indispensable devices for the measurements of superconducting quantum information. We have developed an all-Nb lumped-element flux-driven JPA operating in the three-wave mixing mode. Our Nb-based JPA comprises Nb/Al-AlO x /Nb Josephson junctions, a parallel-plate capacitor with SiO2 dielectric sandwiched between two Nb layers, a bottom coplanar waveguides layer, and a top Nb wiring layer. We experimentally demonstrate a 20 dB gain over a 190 MHz bandwidth, a mean 1 dB compression of –123 dBm, and near quantum-limited noise performance. This fabrication process can be further used to design impedance transformed parametric amplifiers for multiple-qubit readout.
Josephson Parametric Amplifiers (JPAs) are key components in quantum information processing due to their ability to amplify weak quantum signals with near-quantum-limited noise performance. This is essential for applications such as qubit readout, quantum sensing, and communication, where signal fidelity and coherence preservation are critical. Unlike CMOS and HEMT amplifiers used in conventional RF systems, JPAs are specifically optimized for millikelvin (mK) cryogenic environments. CMOS amplifiers offer good integration but perform poorly at ultra-low temperatures due to high noise. HEMT amplifiers provide better noise performance but are power-intensive and less suited for mK operation. JPAs, by contrast, combine low power consumption with ultra-low noise and excellent cryogenic compatibility, making them ideal for quantum systems. The first part of this study compares these RF amplifier types and explains why JPAs are preferred in cryogenic quantum applications. The second part focuses on the design and analysis of JPAs based on both single Josephson junctions and junction arrays. While single-junction JPAs utilize nonlinear inductance for amplification, they suffer from gain compression, limited dynamic range, and sensitivity to fabrication variations. To overcome these challenges, this work explores JPA designs using Josephson junction arrays. Arrays distribute the nonlinear response, enhancing power handling, linearity, impedance tunability, and coherence while reducing phase noise. Several advanced JPA architectures are proposed, simulated, and compared using quantum theory and CAD tools to assess performance trade-offs and improvements over conventional designs.
Josephson junctions (JJ) and their tunable properties, including their nonlinearities, form the core of superconducting circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED). In quantum circuits, low-noise amplification of feeble microwave signals is essential and the Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPA) are the widely used devices. The existing JPAs are based on Al-AlOx-Al tunnel junctions realized in a superconducting quantum interference device geometry, where magnetic flux is the knob for tuning the frequency. Recent experimental realizations of 2D van der Waals JJs provide an opportunity to implement various cQED devices with the added advantage of tuning the junction properties and the operating point using a gate potential. While other components of a possible 2D van der Waals cQED architecture have been demonstrated -- quantum noise limited amplifier, an essential component, has not been realized. Here we implement a quantum noise limited JPA, using a graphene JJ, that has linear resonance gate tunability of 3.5 GHz. We report 24 dB amplification with 10 MHz bandwidth and -130 dBm saturation power; performance on par with the best single-junction JPAs. Importantly, our gate tunable JPA works in the quantum-limited noise regime which makes it an attractive option for highly sensitive signal processing. Our work has implications for novel bolometers -- the low heat capacity of graphene together with JJ nonlinearity can result in an extremely sensitive microwave bolometer embedded inside a quantum noise-limited amplifier. In general, our work will open up exploration of scalable device architecture of 2D van der Waals materials by integrating a sensor with the quantum amplifier.
We report a fabrication process and characterization of the Josephson parametric amplifier (JPA) for the single-shot quantum state measurement of superconducting multiqubit system. The device is prepared using Nb film as its base layer, which is convenient in the sample patterning process like e-beam lithography and film etching. Our results show that the JPA has a bandwidth up to 600 MHz with gain above 15 dB and noise temperature approaching the quantum limit. The qubit state differentiation measurements demonstrate the signal-to-noise ratio around 3 and the readout fidelity above 97% and 91% for the ground and first-excited states, respectively.
Josephson parametric amplification is a tool of paramount importance in circuit-QED especially for the quantum-noise-limited single-shot read-out of superconducting qubits. We developed a Josephson parametric amplifier (JPA) based on a lumped-element LC resonator, in which the inductance L is composed by a geometric inductance and an array of 4 superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). We characterized the main figures of merit of the device, obtaining a −3 dB bandwidth BW = 15 MHz for a gain G = 21 dB and a 1 dB compression point P1dB = −115 dBm. The obtained results are promising for the future use of such JPA as the first stage of amplification for single-shot readout of superconducting qubits.
Abstract Superconducting Parametric Amplifiers (SPAs) with near-quantum-limited added noise are crucial for weak signal detection applications such as astronomical receivers, quantum computation, and fundamental physics experiments. Commercially available SPAs include Josephson Parametric Amplifiers (JPAs), which offer high gain but narrow bandwidth performance; and Josephson-junction Travelling Wave Parametric Amplifiers (JTWPAs), which provide broader bandwidth at the cost of a complicated fabrication procedure, lower fabrication yield, and larger footprint area. In this paper, we investigate the parametric amplification of microwave signals in a Josephson array embedded in a low-Q Fabry-Pérot cavity. We fabricated a 500-junction array device and measured >15 dB phase-preserving gain over a ∼350 MHz bandwidth, while offering almost two orders of magnitude improvement in compression point (P 1dB = −106.2 dBm) compared to standard JPAs. Furthermore, using a novel measurement technique, we configured our device to operate in the phase-sensitive mode, measuring a phase-sensitive extinction ratio (PSER) of 42.3 ± 2.81 dB, in line with state-of-the-art values for JPAs. These promising performances, combined with the ease of fabrication and improved yield compared with JTWPAs, underscore the potential of these devices for applications in advanced detection schemes.