In situ calibration of microwave attenuation and gain using a cryogenic on-chip attenuator

TL;DR

This paper introduces a compact, self-calibrating cryogenic noise source that enables in situ calibration of microwave attenuation and gain in superconducting quantum circuits, improving measurement accuracy without complex temperature knowledge.

Contribution

The authors present a novel on-chip chromium attenuator that self-calibrates microwave gain and noise at cryogenic temperatures using Johnson-Nyquist noise comparison, eliminating the need for temperature measurements.

Findings

Achieved millisecond response times with negligible cryostat heating.

Accurately determined gain and added noise of cryogenic amplifiers in the 4-8 GHz band.

Provided a simple method for characterizing near-quantum-limited amplifiers.

Abstract

Accurate in situ calibration of microwave attenuation and amplification-chain noise is essential for superconducting quantum circuits. We demonstrate a compact, self-calibrating cryogenic noise source based on an on-chip chromium attenuator that can be resistively heated with nanowatt-level power and directly integrated into a coaxial microwave line at the mixing-chamber stage. By comparing Johnson-Nyquist noise generated by Joule and microwave heating, measured through the amplification chain, the attenuation of the input line, and hence the gain of the chain, is determined without requiring knowledge of the attenuator temperature. The device exhibits millisecond-scale response times and negligible heating of the cryostat base plate. Using this approach, we determine the gain and added noise of a cryogenic amplification chain over the 4-8 GHz band. Our results provide a simple and accurate method to characterize near-quantum-limited parametric amplifiers used in superconducting-qubit readout.