A 4–8 GHz kinetic inductance traveling-wave parametric amplifier using four-wave mixing with near quantum-limited noise performance

Kinetic inductance traveling-wave parametric amplifiers (KI-TWPAs) have a wide instantaneous bandwidth with a near quantum-limited noise performance and a relatively high dynamic range. Because of this, they are suitable readout devices for cryogenic detectors and superconducting qubits and have a variety of applications in quantum sensing. This work discusses the design, fabrication, and performance of a KI-TWPA based on four-wave mixing in a NbTiN microstrip transmission line. This device amplifies a signal band from 4 to 8 GHz without contamination from image tones, which are produced in a separate higher frequency band. The 4–8 GHz band is commonly used to read out cryogenic detectors, such as microwave kinetic inductance detectors and Josephson junction-based qubits. We report a measured maximum gain of over 20 dB using four-wave mixing with a 1 dB gain compression point of −58 dBm at 15 dB of gain over that band. The bandwidth and peak gain are tunable by adjusting the pump-tone frequency and power. Using a Y-factor method, we measure an amplifier-added noise of 0.5 ≤ N_added ≤ 1.5 photons from 4.5 to 8 GHz.

This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant No. 80NM0018D0004). F. Faramarzi research was supported by appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities under contract with NASA.

Farzad Faramarzi: Data curation (lead); Formal analysis (equal); Investigation (equal); Methodology (equal); Writing – original draft (equal). Ryan Stephenson: Data curation (supporting); Formal analysis (supporting); Writing – review & editing (supporting). Sasha Sypkens: Data curation (supporting); Formal analysis (supporting); Writing – review & editing (equal). Byeong H. Eom: Data curation (equal). Henry LeDuc: Conceptualization (equal); Investigation (equal); Methodology (equal). Peter Day: Conceptualization (equal); Data curation (equal); Formal analysis (equal); Funding acquisition (equal); Investigation (equal); Methodology (equal); Project administration (equal); Supervision (equal); Validation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal).

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

The authors have no conflicts to disclose.