Nonlinear mode coupling and parametric amplification with superconducting kinetic inductance

Abstract: We investigate the resonant characteristics of superconducting meandering nanowires to design a nonlinear kinetic inductance traveling-wave parametric amplifier. The devices are patterned out of 15 nm thick NbTiN films. They consist of a coplanar waveguide, that shrinks into 100 nm wide meandering nanowires. For a total kinetic inductance of ∼1 μH, our simulations show that these structures behave as resonators with fundamental mode frequency around 1 GHz and a phase velocity of the signal as low as c/1000. The resonance peaks correspond to the presence of current antinodes within the meandering structure. Samples were fabricated at the Albanova Nanolab facility and measured in a sample-in-vacuum dipstick at 300 mK. Frequency sweeps in the 0.1-10 GHz range confirm the presence of these resonance peaks. In addition, we investigate the current nonlinearity of our devices. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the resonant peaks revealed the critical temperature of the film, TC = 14.0 ± 0.5 K. The dispersion relations showed that the device impedance exceeds the resistance quantum RQ = 6.5 kΩ when close to resonance or below 87 MHz. A second design was realized in order to reduce the device’s characteristic impedance to ≈ 50 Ω. This design, accomodating a micro stripline, embedded a significantly longer nanowire, with a total kinetic inductance ∼10 μH. Measurements showed a dramatically reduced impedance to ≈ 700 Ω, but still not matched to 50 Ω, giving rise to a dense frequency comb of standing modes in the 0-3 GHz bandwidth, with a constant spacing of ≈ 45 MHz.