Quasi-phasematching in a poled Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier with three-wave mixing

Abstract

We develop the concept of quasi-phasematching (QPM) by implementing it in the recently proposed Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier (JTWPA) with three-wave mixing (3WM). The amplifier is based on a ladder transmission line consisting of flux-biased radio frequency superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) whose nonlinearity is of χ(2)-type. QPM is achieved in the 3WM process, ωp = ωs + ωi (where ωp, ωs, and ωi are the pump, signal, and idler frequencies, respectively) due to designing the JTWPA to include periodically inverted groups of these SQUIDs that reverse the sign of the nonlinearity. Modeling shows that the JTWPA bandwidth is relatively large (˜0.4ωp) and flat, while unwanted modes, including ω2p = 2ωp, ω+ = ωp + ωs, and ω- = 2ωp - ωs, are strongly suppressed with the help of engineered dispersion.