Low noise traveling wave amplification based on inelastic Cooper pair tunneling

Highly sensitive microwave detectors and scalable quantum information infrastructure require low noise amplifiers. In this work we present a novel amplification scheme based on voltage-biased Josephson junctions embedded in a transmission line with an engineered impedance environment. Leveraging the nonlinearity of Josephson junctions, parametric amplification is achieved, promising near to quantum limited performance. Furthermore, the use of a DC pump relaxes the need for complex phase matching techniques limiting the performances of state-of-the-art traveling wave parametric amplifiers (TWPA).

In this talk, the foundations for traveling wave amplifiers based on inelastic Cooper pair tunneling are laid. The performances of first-generation devices are presented and compared to simulation results, which predict wideband amplification.