High-Gain Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifier Based on Three-Wave Mixing

Journal article, 2023

We extend the theory for a Josephson-junction traveling-wave parametric amplifier (TWPA) operat-ing in the three-wave-mixing regime and we propose a scheme for achieving high gain. The continuous three-mode model [P.K. Tien, J. Appl. Phys. 29, 1347 (1958)] is, on one hand, extended to describe a discrete chain of Josephson junctions at high frequencies close to the spectral cutoff where there is no up -conversion. On the other hand, we also develop a continuous multimode theory for the small frequency limit where the frequency dispersion is close to linear. We find that in both cases the gain is significantly reduced compared to the prediction by the continuous three-mode model as the result of increasingly strong dispersion at the high frequencies and generation of up-converted modes at the small frequencies. The developed theory is in quantitative agreement with simulations of the full solution of the dynamical equations. To recover the high gain, we propose to engineer a chain with dispersive features to form a two-band frequency spectrum and to place the pump frequency within the upper band close to the spectral cutoff. We prove that there exists a sweet spot, where the signal and the pump are phase matched, while the up-conversion is inhibited. This results in a high gain, which grows exponentially with the length of the TWPA.