GHz operation of a quantum point contact using stub-impedance matching circuit

Abstract

Quantum point contacts (QPC) are the building blocks of quantum dot qubits and semiconducting quantum electrical metrology circuits. QPCs also make highly sensitive electrical amplifiers with the potential to operate in the quantum-limited regime. Though the inherent operational bandwidth of QPCs can eclipse the THz regime, the impedance mismatch with the external circuitry limits the operational frequency to a few kHz. Lumped-element impedance-matching circuits are successful only up to a few hundreds of MHz in frequency. QPCs are characterised by a complex impedance consisting of quantized resistance, capacitance, and inductance elements. Characterising the complex admittance at higher frequencies and understanding the coupling of QPC to other circuit elements and electromagnetic environments will provide valuable insight into its sensing and backaction properties. In this work, we couple a QPC galvanically to a superconducting stub tuner impedance matching circuit realised in a coplanar waveguide architecture to enhance the operation frequency into the GHz regime and investigate the electrical amplification and complex admittance characteristics. The device, operating at ∼ 1.96GHz, exhibits a conductance sensitivity of 2.92×10−5(e2/h)/Hz with a bandwidth of 13MHz. Besides, the RF reflected power unambiguously reveals the complex admittance characteristics of the QPC, shining more light on the behaviour of quantum tunnel junctions at higher operational frequencies.