Working Packages

The goal of this working package is to improve the current traveling wave parametric amplifier (TWPA) designs with new geometries and layouts, supported by simulations. The requirements for the design are a gain value around > 20, a high saturation power (around -50 dBm), and a quantum-limited or nearly quantum-limited noise (noise temperature < 600 mK) over different bandwidths: C-band (4-8 GHz) for TESs and MKIDs, and X-band (8-12 GHz) and L+S band (1-4 GHz), for microwave cavities and qubits. The amplifiers are designed by exploiting the non-linearity provided by the Josephson junction (TWPJA) and by the kinetic inductance of superconductors (KI-TWPA or DTWKI).

The goal of this working package is to fabricate the devices designed in WP1. Both INRiM and FBK provide more than 500 m² state-of-the-a clean-room facilities equipped for micro and nanofabrication and device production, measurement, and testing. The Quantum Metrology and Nanotechnology division of INRiM has a long experience in developing Josephson junction-based devices for metrological application and sensing. The role of INRIM is devoted to the fabrication of TWJPA prototypes. The Centre for Materials and Microsystems (CMM) of FBK has a long experience in fabricating microresonators in superconducting films and, within the project, is in charge of the fabrication of the KI-TWPA prototypes.

The goal of this working package is to measure and characterize the KI-TWPA prototype produced in WP2 and the demonstration of read-out with arrays of MKIDs and TESs detectors and arrays of qubits. The produced devices are characterized at the INFN cryogenics laboratories in Trento (INFN-TIFPA) e Milano (INFN-MIB). The cryogenic facilities are optimized for extrapolating the amplifier fundamental parameters, e.g gain, bandwidth, power handling performance, and noise figure. These measurements provide feedback to WP1 and WP2 in order to improve the design and the fabrication. TESs and MKIDs will be readout by coupling the resonator arrays to the KI-TWPA input and their response will be studied with photon calibration sources (x-ray and infrared). Transmon qubits coupled to magnetostatic modes in Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) and read out by KI-TWPA will be tested at INFN-LE.

The goal of this working package is to measure and characterize the TWJPA prototype produced in WP2 and the demonstration of read out with arrays of microwave cavities and qubits. Prototype devices of the TWJPA are experimentally tested at INFN-SA, INFN-LNF, and INFN-LE. INFN-SA will perform fast tests by using a He3 refrigerator, the tested devices will be then employed to LNF and LE and IBS-CAPP (Institute for Basic Science - Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research ) for integration with detectors. INFN-SA will take care of chip bonding inside a custom designed sample holder. INFN-LNF and IBS-CAPP will demonstrate the application to axion searches. The optimized amplifiers will be exploited for read out of cavities and transmon qubits coupled to magnetostatic modes in Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) single crystals in a strong-coupling regime at INFN-LE.

The project management and coordination are carried out by the Project Management Board (PMB), composed of the Project National Coordinator (RN), the Unit Local Coordinators (RL), and the leaders of all WPs. The PMB has the objective to monitor the overall flowing of the research programme, to approve the project’s deliverables, to discuss financial issues and the allocation of the resources, to address serious critical issues, to take strategic decisions, and to promote Communication, Exploitation and Dissemination activities.