Nonlinearity and wideband parametric amplification in an NbTiN microstrip transmission line

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that NbTiN microstrip transmission lines exhibit significant nonlinearity and low dissipation, enabling wideband parametric amplification and potential applications in microwave and millimeter-wave technologies.

Contribution

It introduces a superconducting NbTiN microstrip line with tunable inductance and low dissipation, enabling wideband parametric amplification and novel microwave applications.

Findings

Inductance can be tuned by up to 20% with DC current.

Achieved wideband parametric amplification from 3 to 34 GHz.

Low dissipation ratio of reactive to dissipative response (788).

Abstract

The nonlinear response associated with the current dependence of the superconducting kinetic inductance was studied in capacitively shunted NbTiN microstrip transmission lines. It was found that the inductance per unit length of one microstrip line could be changed by up to 20% by applying a DC current, corresponding to a single pass time delay of 0.7 ns. To investigate nonlinear dissipation, Bragg reflectors were placed on either end of a section of this type of transmission line, creating resonances over a range of frequencies. From the change in the resonance linewidth and amplitude with DC current, the ratio of the reactive to the dissipative response of the line was found to be 788. The low dissipation makes these transmission lines suitable for a number of applications that are microwave and millimeter-wave band analogues of nonlinear optical processes. As an example, by applying a millimeter-wave pump tone, very wide band parametric amplification was observed between about 3 and 34 GHz. Use as a current variable delay line for an on-chip millimeter-wave Fourier transform spectrometer is also considered.