High-saturation power Josephson ring modulators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11264554-B2
Application number	US-202017135631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2020
Priority date	Oct 22, 2018
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

High-saturation power Josephson ring modulators and fabrication of the same are provided. A Josephson ring modulator can comprise a plurality of matrix junctions. Matrix junctions of the plurality of matrix junctions can comprise respective superconducting parallel branches that can comprise a plurality of Josephson junctions operatively coupled in a series configuration. A method can comprise forming a first matrix junction comprising arranging a first group of Josephson junctions as first parallel branches. The method can also comprise forming a second matrix junction comprising arranging a second group of Josephson junctions as second parallel branches. Further, the method can comprise forming a third matrix junction comprising arranging a third group of Josephson junctions as third parallel branches. In addition, the method can comprise forming a fourth matrix junction comprising arranging a fourth group of Josephson junctions as fourth parallel branches.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A Josephson ring modulator, comprising:
a plurality of matrix junctions, wherein matrix junctions of the plurality of matrix junctions comprise respective superconducting parallel branches that comprise a plurality of Josephson junctions, wherein the Josephson ring modulator is designed with a defined number of the Josephson junctions and superconducting parallel branches such that a number of the Josephson junctions equals a number of the superconducting parallel branches.

2. The Josephson ring modulator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of matrix junctions comprises a first matrix junction, a second matrix junction, a third matrix junction, and a fourth matrix junction operatively coupled in a ring configuration.

3. The Josephson ring modulator of claim 1 , wherein the N×N design of the Josephson ring modulator provides enhanced nonlinearity while tolerating high microwave powers of the Josephson ring modulator.

4. The Josephson ring modulator of claim 2 , further comprising a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node, wherein the first matrix junction is between the first node and the second node, the second matrix junction is between the second node and the third node.

5. The Josephson ring modulator of claim 4 , wherein the third matrix junction is between the third node and the fourth node and in a parallel configuration with the second matrix junction.

6. The Josephson ring modulator of claim 5 , wherein the fourth matrix junction is between the fourth node and the first node and in the parallel configuration with the first matrix junction, and wherein the third matrix junction is parallel to the first matrix junction and the fourth matrix junction is parallel to the second matrix junction.

7. The Josephson ring modulator of claim 2 , wherein the first matrix junction, the second matrix junction, the third matrix junction, and the fourth matrix junction comprise a same number of superconducting parallel branches.

8. The Josephson ring modulator of claim 2 , wherein the first matrix junction, the second matrix junction, the third matrix junction, and the fourth matrix junction comprise a same number of Josephson junctions in the series configuration.

9. The Josephson ring modulator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of matrix junctions are arranged in a Wheatstone bridge configuration.

10. The Josephson ring modulator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of matrix junctions are operatively coupled to a microwave resonator.

11. A method, comprising:
forming a plurality of matrix junctions comprising:
arranging a plurality of Josephson junctions as sets of superconducting parallel branches; and
arranging a first pair of superconducting parallel branches of the sets of superconducting parallel branches and a second pair of superconducting parallel branches of the sets of superconducting parallel branches, wherein the plurality of matrix junctions forms a Josephson ring modulator designed to have an equal number of Josephson junctions and superconducting parallel branches such that there are N of the plurality of Josephson junctions in the Josephson ring modulator and N of the superconducting parallel branches in the Josephson ring modulator for an N×N configuration to enhance nonlinearity and toleration of high microwave power.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the forming the plurality of matrix junctions comprises:
forming a first matrix junction, a second matrix junction, a third matrix junction, and a fourth matrix junction; and
arranging the first matrix junction, the second matrix junction, the third matrix junction, and the fourth matrix junction in a ring configuration.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising
arranging the first matrix junction between a first node and a second node, the second matrix junction between the second node and a third node, the third matrix junction between the third node and a fourth node and in the parallel configuration with the second matrix junction, and the fourth matrix junction between the fourth node and the first node and in the parallel configuration with the first matrix junction.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the third matrix junction is parallel to the first matrix junction and the fourth matrix junction is parallel to the second matrix junction.

15. A superconducting device, comprising:
a Josephson ring modulator comprising a plurality of matrix junctions, wherein matrix junctions of the plurality of matrix junctions comprise superconducting parallel branches that comprise a plurality of Josephson junctions, wherein the superconducting device is integrated into a high-saturation power parameter amplifier having a high-saturation power, wherein the Josephson ring modulator is designed with a defined number of the Josephson junctions and superconducting parallel branches such that a number of the Josephson junctions equals a number of the superconducting parallel branches.

16. The superconducting device of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of matrix junctions comprises a first matrix junction, a second matrix junction, a third matrix junction, and a fourth matrix junction arranged in a ring configuration.

17. The superconducting device of claim 16 , wherein the Josephson ring modulator further comprises a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node, wherein the first matrix junction is between the first node and the second node, the second matrix junction is between the second node and the third node, the third matrix junction is between the third node and the fourth node and in a parallel configuration with the second matrix junction.

18. The superconducting device of claim 17 , wherein the fourth matrix junction is between the fourth node and the first node and in the parallel configuration with the first matrix junction, wherein the third matrix junction is parallel to the first matrix junction and the fourth matrix junction is parallel to the second matrix junction.

19. The superconducting device of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of matrix junctions are arranged in a Wheatstone bridge configuration.

20. A Josephson ring modulator, comprising:
a first matrix junction comprising a first group of Josephson junctions arranged as first parallel branches;
a second matrix junction comprising a second group of Josephson junctions arranged as second parallel branches;
a third matrix junction comprising a third group of Josephson junctions arranged as third parallel branches; and
a fourth matrix junction comprising a fourth group of Josephson junctions arranged as fourth parallel branches, wherein an area of the first matrix junction is less than an area of a Josephson ring modulator comprised of the first group of Josephson junctions, the second group of Josephson junctions, the third group of Josephson junctions and the fourth group of Josephson junctions, wherein the Josephson ring modulator is designed with a defined number of the first group, second group, third group and fourth group of Josephson junctions, wherein the first, second, third and fourth parallel branches equals respective numbers of the first group, second group, third group and fourth group of Josephson junctions.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Abdo Baleegh

Classifications

• H03D7/005 Primary

  by means of superconductive devices · CPC title

• H03H11/34

  Networks for connecting several sources or loads working on different frequencies or frequency bands, to a common load or source · CPC title

• H03F19/00

  Amplifiers using superconductivity effects · CPC title

• H03K3/38

  by the use, as active elements, of superconductive devices · CPC title

• G06N10/00

  Quantum computing, i.e. information processing based on quantum-mechanical phenomena · CPC title