A kinetic inductance parametric amplifier

A method for performing parametric amplification with a kinetic inductance parametric amplifier comprising the step of:

• providing a kinetic inductance parametric amplifier comprising:
• an input port arranged to receive a pump tone, a DC bias and input signal;
• an output port arranged to provide an amplified version of the input signal;
• a tunable stepped-impedance assembly arranged to attenuate and/or filter predetermined frequency bands;
• and a high kinetic inductance line;
• wherein the tunable stepped-impedance assembly is tuned at a frequency that allows for the kinetic inductance parametric amplifier to resonate at a predetermined frequency and wherein the pump tone has a frequency higher than the frequency of the input signal and the DC bias signal is transmitted to the high kinetic inductance line;
• applying a DC signal configured to modify the kinetic inductance and one or more filtering properties of the stepped-impedance assembly;
• applying the pump tone and an input signal to the input port;
• and
• detecting the amplified version of the input signal at the output port.

A kinetic inductance parametric amplifier for performing phase-sensitive amplification, the amplifier comprising:

• an input port arranged to receive a pump tone, a DC bias and input signal;
• an output port arranged to provide an amplified or de-amplified version of the input signal;
• a tunable stepped-impedance assembly arranged to attenuate and/or filter predetermined frequency bands;
• and
• a high kinetic inductance line;
• wherein the tunable stepped-impedance assembly is tuned at a frequency that allows for the amplifier to resonate at a predetermined frequency and wherein the pump tone has a frequency twice that of the input signal and wherein the DC biasing signal is transmitted to the high kinetic inductance line.