Two-Stage SQUID Amplifier With Bias Current Re-Use

Abstract

Biasing arrangements in multi-channel multi-stage SQUID amplifier systems, such as Transition Edge Sensor matrices for astronomical observation (Barrett et al., 2023) or quantum science (Hummatov et al., 2023), typically require a large number of wires. This is due to the need for two or more cascaded SQUID stages to obtain sufficiently large power gain over a sufficient bandwidth, and due to moderate obtainable multiplexing factors, which forces implementation of many parallel readout chains to serve all the sensor pixels. We suggest an arrangement where one bias line and one flux setpoint line are shared by two cascaded SQUID stages on a single chip, halving the number of lines two cascaded stages would ordinarily require. The stages are connected in series, sharing a single supply current , dual to ordinary integrated transistor circuits in which many transistor stages are connected in parallel and share a single supply voltage . We show experimental results at T = 4.2 K for a proof-of-concept amplifier chip, fabricated in the VTT Micronova foundry, using SWAPS Josephson junctions (Grönberg et al., 2017) at J_C = 20 μA/(μm) ² critical current density. The device shows larger than 3 kΩ transresistance, when operating from L_IN = 29 nH input inductance to R_D < 150 Ω output dynamic resistance.