A quantum-limited amplification chain is a fundamental advantage for any application that may benefit from the detection of very faint signals. Reading out arrays of superconducting detectors (TESs or MKIDs), resonant cavities, or qubits, calls for large bandwidth amplifiers in addition to having the lowest possible noise. At millikelvin temperatures, Kinetic Inductance Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifiers (KI-TWPAs) working in 3-wave-mixing (3WM) and fabricated from a 20 nm thick NbTiN film have shown promising noise performances, as they can operate close to the quantum limit (Malnou et al., 2021). However, they still require fairly high pump power. Devices that would require lower pump power would be easier to implement in readout chains, could reach the quantum limit and they would be compatible with qubit readout. A possible solution for obtaining this optimal configuration is to use a thinner superconducting film. In this work we explore the properties of NbTiN films with a thickness less than 20 nm and we report the obtained experimental characterizations in terms of critical temperature, normal resistivity, and kinetic inductance. A new design for a 3WM KI-TWPA amplifier, based on these developed superconducting films, is introduced and discussed.

Giachero, A., Vissers, M., Wheeler, J., Malnou, M., Austermann, J., Hubmayr, J., et al. (2023). Characterization of NbTiN Films With Thicknesses Below 20 nm for Low Power Kinetic Inductance Amplifiers. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON APPLIED SUPERCONDUCTIVITY, 33(5 (August 2023)), 1-5 [10.1109/TASC.2023.3253069].

Characterization of NbTiN Films With Thicknesses Below 20 nm for Low Power Kinetic Inductance Amplifiers

Giachero, A
;
Nucciotti, A;
2023

Abstract

A quantum-limited amplification chain is a fundamental advantage for any application that may benefit from the detection of very faint signals. Reading out arrays of superconducting detectors (TESs or MKIDs), resonant cavities, or qubits, calls for large bandwidth amplifiers in addition to having the lowest possible noise. At millikelvin temperatures, Kinetic Inductance Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifiers (KI-TWPAs) working in 3-wave-mixing (3WM) and fabricated from a 20 nm thick NbTiN film have shown promising noise performances, as they can operate close to the quantum limit (Malnou et al., 2021). However, they still require fairly high pump power. Devices that would require lower pump power would be easier to implement in readout chains, could reach the quantum limit and they would be compatible with qubit readout. A possible solution for obtaining this optimal configuration is to use a thinner superconducting film. In this work we explore the properties of NbTiN films with a thickness less than 20 nm and we report the obtained experimental characterizations in terms of critical temperature, normal resistivity, and kinetic inductance. A new design for a 3WM KI-TWPA amplifier, based on these developed superconducting films, is introduced and discussed.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
resonators; Superconducting devices; superconducting materials; superconducting thin films; transmission line measurements;
English
6-mar-2023
2023
33
5 (August 2023)
1
5
1700905
none
Giachero, A., Vissers, M., Wheeler, J., Malnou, M., Austermann, J., Hubmayr, J., et al. (2023). Characterization of NbTiN Films With Thicknesses Below 20 nm for Low Power Kinetic Inductance Amplifiers. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON APPLIED SUPERCONDUCTIVITY, 33(5 (August 2023)), 1-5 [10.1109/TASC.2023.3253069].
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/415358
Citazioni
  • Scopus 4
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 4
Social impact