Design, Integration, and Characterization of Travelling-Wave Kinetic-Inductance Parametric (TWKIP) Amplifiers

This project investigates the development of Travelling-Wave Kinetic-Inductance Parametric (TWKIP) amplifiers, a class of superconducting devices that combine high gain, broad bandwidth, and near-quantum-limited noise performance.

TWKIP amplifiers leverage the nonlinear kinetic inductance of superconducting thin films to achieve parametric amplification through controlled three-wave mixing (3WM) and four-wave mixing (4WM) processes. Unlike resonant devices, TWKIP amplifiers use a transmission-line architecture to sustain a travelling wave, enabling continuous amplification across GHz-wide bandwidths and greatly increasing dynamic range.

With demonstrated potential for >20 dB gain, >35% fractional bandwidth, TWKIP amplifiers are poised to become a critical technology for radio astronomy receivers, quantum computing readout chains, and other ultra-sensitive experiments.