Three wave mixing vacuum squeezing generation in a SNAIL-based Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifier with alternated flux polarity

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates vacuum squeezing in a SNAIL-based TWPA by exploiting residual three-wave mixing, highlighting the importance of flux biasing to optimize quantum squeezing in microwave photonics.

Contribution

It reveals how residual three-wave mixing can generate vacuum squeezing in a SNAIL-based TWPA, with insights into nonlinear competition effects.

Findings

Vacuum squeezing achieved via residual 3WM in SNAIL-based TWPA.

Careful flux biasing enables dominance of 3WM over 4WM.

Insights into nonlinear interactions improve microwave quantum device design.

Abstract

Recent demonstrations of squeezing generation using Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifiers (TWPAs) have opened the way for the application of broadband microwave squeezing in quantum sensing, quantum-enhanced detection, and continuous-variable quantum information. Here we demonstrate vacuum squeezing generation via residual three-wave mixing (3WM) in a Josephson TWPA based on superconducting nonlinear asymmetric inductive elements (SNAILs) with alternated magnetic flux polarity. By investigating competition between four-wave mixing (4WM) and 3WM nonlinearities, we prove that vacuum squeezing generation via residual 3WM is possible when a careful choice of the operating flux point is adopted. Our study provides valuable insights on the impact of competing nonlinearities on TWPA squeezers, potentially extending the range of applications in the framework of microwave photonics.