Low noise parametric amplification in DARTWARS

Faverzani, M.; Giachero, A.; Ahrens, F.; Avallone, G.; Barone, C.; Borghesi, M.; Capelli, S.; Carapella, G.; Caricato, A. P.; Callegaro, L.; Carusotto, I.; Celotto, A.; Cian, A.; D’Elia, A.; Di Gioacchino, D.; Enrico, E.; Falferi, P.; Fasolo, L.; Ferri, E.; Filatrella, G.; Gatti, C.; Giubertoni, D.; Granata, V.; Guarcello, C.; Labranca, D.; Leo, A.; Maccarrone, C. Ligi. G.; Mantegazzini, F.; Margesin, B.; Maruccio, G.; Mezzena, R.; Monteduro, A. G.; Moretti, R; Nucciotti, A.; Oberto, L.; Origo, L.; Pagano, S.; Piedjou, A. S.; Piersanti, L.; Rettaroli, A.; Rizzato, S.; Tocci, S.; Vinante, A.; Zannoni, M.

Superconducting parametric amplifiers (SPAs) are an essential component in the field of quantum computing, providing high-performance amplification of extremely weak signals with low noise levels. As quantum computers scale up in size and complexity, the need for high-fidelity and high bandwidth readout becomes increasingly important. This is where SPAs come into play, providing an alternative to traditional low-temperature amplifiers with the potential to significantly improve the readout performance. Besides quantum computing, SPAs can play a central role also in the field of quantum sensing and in reading out low-temperature detectors. SPAs are based on the principle of parametric amplification, which allows for the amplification of a signal by exploiting the nonlinearity of a material's response to a driving signal. Superconductors are particularly well-suited for this purpose due to their intrinsic non-linearity. One of the most significant advantages of SPAs is their ability to provide quantum-limited amplification, which means that the noise added by the amplifier is at the level of quantum noise. This is crucial for quantum computing applications, where even small amounts of added noise can significantly reduce the fidelity of qubit readout. Two main types of SPAs have emerged so far: Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPAs) and traveling-wave parametric amplifiers (TWPAs). While JPAs have proven to reach the quantum limit, they have limited bandwidth and saturation power, which restricts the number of devices they can read. Conversely, TWPAs have the potential to increase the bandwidth and saturation power to levels comparable to commercial amplifiers. The DARTWARS (Detector Array Readout with Traveling Wave AmplifieRS) project is dedicated to developing TWPAs. Two approaches are being explored: one is based on Josephson junctions (TWJPA) while the other is based on the kinetic inductance of a high-resistivity superconductor (KITWPA). The goal is to achieve a gain value of around 20 dB, a high saturation power of approximately -50 dBm, and a noise level that is either quantum-limited or nearly quantum-limited (TN < 600 mK). These features will enable the readout of large arrays of detectors or qubits with virtually no degradation in noise. DARTWARS is a three-year project with the aim of developing TWPAs to their technical limits. In this contribution, I will present the progress made by the DARTWARS collaboration thus far.

Low noise parametric amplification in DARTWARS / Faverzani, M.; Giachero, A.; Ahrens, F.; Avallone, G.; Barone, C.; Borghesi, M.; Capelli, S.; Carapella, G.; Caricato, A. P.; Callegaro, L.; Carusotto, I.; Celotto, A.; Cian, A.; D’Elia, A.; Di Gioacchino, D.; Enrico, E.; Falferi, P.; Fasolo, L.; Ferri, E.; Filatrella, G.; Gatti, C.; Giubertoni, D.; Granata, V.; Guarcello, C.; Labranca, D.; Leo, A.; Maccarrone, C. Ligi. G.; Mantegazzini, F.; Margesin, B.; Maruccio, G.; Mezzena, R.; Monteduro, A. G.; Moretti, R; Nucciotti, A.; Oberto, L.; Origo, L.; Pagano, S.; Piedjou, A. S.; Piersanti, L.; Rettaroli, A.; Rizzato, S.; Tocci, S.; Vinante, A.; Zannoni, M.. - (2023). (Intervento presentato al convegno LTD20 - Low Temperature Detectors 2023 tenutosi a Daejeon, Korea nel 23-28 Luglio 2023).