Broadband SQUID amplifiers for photonic applications

Abstract

The dynamics and noise of a dc SQUID (the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), with the McCumber parameter /spl beta//sub c/=2/spl pi/R/sup 2/l/sub c/C//spl Phi//sub 0/ close to the unity (where I/sub c/, R, C is the critical current, the shunt resistance and the capacitance of the Josephson junctions comprising the SQUID, respectively, /spl Phi//sub 0/=2.07 10/sup -15/ Wb is the magnetic flux quantum) integrated with a planar spiral input coil, have been experimentally studied. The length of the spiral input coil was chosen so as to match its /spl lambda//4 microwave resonance frequency to the plasma resonance frequency of the SQUID. The input coil resonance is found to enhance the overall quality factor Q of the Josephson oscillations in the SQUID and, as a result, to increase the dynamic resistance R/sub d/ and the gradient of the flux-to-voltage characteristics, /spl delta/V//spl delta//spl Phi/, without hysteresis. A dc SQUID with a loop inductance L=30.5 pH, /spl beta//sub c/=0.72, and a 6 turn input coil demonstrated a non-distorted quasi-sinusoidal flux-to-voltage transfer function with an exceptionally large modulation depth of 140 /spl mu/V peak-to-peak. The spectral density of the magnetic flux noise was as low as 3.5/spl times/10/sup -7/ /spl Phi//sub 0//Hz/sup 1/2/ in the double stage configuration, measured at a temperature 4.2 K using direct read out electronics. In combination with an intermediary transformer, the current resolution of the SQUID is as low as 1.25 pA/Hz/sup 1/2/ with an input coil inductance of 100 nH.