Improved microwave SQUID multiplexer readout using a kinetic-inductance traveling-wave parametric amplifier

Abstract

We report on the use of a kinetic-inductance traveling-wave parametric amplifier (KITWPA) as the first amplifier in the readout chain of a microwave superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) multiplexer (umux). This umux is designed to multiplex signals from arrays of low temperature detectors such as superconducting transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters. When modulated with a periodic flux-ramp to linearize the SQUID response, the flux noise improves, on average, from $1.6$ $\mu {\Phi }_0/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ with the KITWPA off, to $0.77$ $\mu {\Phi }_0/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ with the KITWPA on. When statically biasing the umux to the maximally flux-sensitive point, the flux noise drops from $0.45$ $\mu {\Phi }_0/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ to $0.2$ $\mu {\Phi }_0/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$. We validate this new readout scheme by coupling a transition-edge sensor microcalorimeter to the umux and detecting background radiation. The combination of umux and KITWPA provides a variety of new capabilities including improved detector sensitivity and more efficient bandwidth utilization.

References in corpus (8)

• A three-wave mixing kinetic inductance traveling-wave amplifier with near-quantum-limited noise performance
• High-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy with a microwave-multiplexed transition-edge sensor array
• Wide-band Parametric Amplifier Readout and Resolution of Optical Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors
• Microwave SQUID Multiplexer demonstration for Cosmic Microwave Background Imagers
• A Microwave SQUID Multiplexer Optimized for Bolometric Applications
• The Simons Observatory microwave SQUID multiplexing detector module design
• SLAC Microresonator RF (SMuRF) Electronics: A tone-tracking readout system for superconducting microwave resonator arrays
• Design of a 3000-pixel transition-edge sensor x-ray spectrometer for microcircuit tomography

Cited by in corpus (3)

• A 4-8 GHz Kinetic Inductance Travelling-Wave Parametric Amplifier Using Four-Wave Mixing with Near Quantum-Limit Noise Performance
• Kinetic inductance traveling wave amplifier designs for practical microwave readout applications
• An rf-SQUID-based traveling-wave parametric amplifier with -84 dBm input saturation power across more than one octave bandwidth