Summary
A superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) is an extremely sensitive magnetic field detector. Microstrip SQUIDs can amplify weak radio frequency (RF) signals, a capability that makes them attractive as a potential alternative to the cryogenic semiconductor-based RF amplifiers that are available commercially, but at a cost of approximately $6,000 each. The challenge of using microstrip SQUIDs has been that they are static sensitive and can be overwhelmed by external noise. By tweaking microstrip SQUID design to achieve the quantum noise limit, and by packaging the technology into a more practical configuration, our team is working to reduce the cost of the SQUID approach by an order of magnitude. We also are working toward a much higher performance amplifier, with voltage noise reduced ten fold.
In the course of our work, we expect to fabricate “user-friendly” SQUIDs – packaging the RF filtering, RF-SQUID, and amplification together – such that a non-specialist could easily run the amplifier with the ease of running a conventional semiconductor amplifier. In addition to producing a practical, high-performance and economical amplifier, we believe that our work will facilitate multiple new quantum readout applications, as well as interesting fundamental physics.
Related Content
Spin-transfer Torque Magnetic Random Access Memory for On-chip Spin Information Storage
Summary Leakage power in semiconductor memories, such as Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), can be substantial and is one of the limits for scalability of classical electronics. This is attributed to the fact that the information stored is volatile, requiring constant refreshing, as well as reprogramming upon powering […]
August 6, 2018
Rydberg Atom Array Quantum Simulator
Summary Quantum simulators enable probing the static and dynamic properties of correlated quantum many-body systems that would otherwise be numerically inaccessible using classical simulators. We are developing quantum simulators based on arrays of neutral atoms excited to Rydberg states. Such Rydberg atom arrays are advantageous for simulating the dynamics of interacting spin systems (Ising spin […]
February 27, 2020
Distributing Multimode Entanglement with Microwave Photons
Microwaves have enabled numerous classical technologies, in part because they propagate through air with little energy loss.
March 6, 2017
Line-Scanning optical coherence tomography system for in-vivo, non-invasive imaging of the cellular structure and blood perfusion of biological tissue
Summary Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an optical imaging method that allows for in-vivo, non-invasive imaging of the structure and vasculature of biological tissue. Commercially available, clinical OCT systems utilize point-scanning method to acquire volumetric images over a large surface with typical frame rates of ~ 30 frames/ second. Since living biological tissue is constantly […]
August 27, 2019