Optimizing the Nonlinearity and Dissipation of a SNAIL Parametric Amplifier for Dynamic Range
N. E. Frattini, V. V. Sivak, A. Lingenfelter, S. Shankar, M. H. Devoret · Physical Review Applied · 2018
Quantum-limited Josephson parametric amplifiers are a key component in many precision microwave measurement setups, such as for the readout of superconducting qubits in a quantum computer. As qubit setups scale up, these amplifiers must be optimized to handle input signals of ever-larger power. The authors design a quantum-limited parametric amplifier based on an array of superconducting nonlinear asymmetric inductive elements. This ``SNAIL'' is optimized to handle large input signals without sacrificing other desirable characteristics. The method can be extended to improve all forms of parametrically induced mixing in quantum information applications.