Researchers from Institut Néel, a partner in TruePA, have provided a TWPA for the search of galactic axions to an italian research consortium prior to the start of TruePA. The axion is a hypothetical particle introduced to solve the stron CP problem in particle physics. The detector for these particles, a so-called haloscope has at its core a high-Q microwave cavity, which in this particular experiment is read out at frequencies around 10.353 GHz. Since the researchers are looking for very weak signals, a TWPA is a great addition to the setup to boost the overall SNR of the detector. The authors conclude: 'This result improves a factor about 4 the sensitivity we obtained in our previous run in almost the same frequency range, thanks to the new amplifier and an improved description of the background in the data analysis, based on a robust noise mode.' Read the full pre-print on arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.07505

The annual March Meeting of the American Physical Society is among the biggest condensed matter conferences worldwide. Numerous sessions focus on various aspects of research on superconducting quantum circuits. This year three sessions were focused on parametric amplifiers alone, indicating the growing importance of the research direction. People from six of the eight partner institutions of TruePA made the trip to Las Vegas and contributed a total of 14 talks. In addition to the in-person meeting there will be a Virtual March Meeting from 20th to 22nd March, which provides  the opportunity to get research highlights from the comfort of your home.

As the TruePA consortium, we especially recommend the following sessions. You might even spot some familiar names – Enjoy!

M72 - Kinetic Inductance Parametric Amplifiers and Quantum-Limited Detectors
Y71 - Improving Qubit Readout with Parametric Amplifiers
Z71 - Lumped-Element Parametric Amplifiers and Circulators

Over two days the TruePA consortium met for its kickoff meeting at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. About 20 participants of the partner organizations from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden made the trip to Karlsruhe, while the hybrid format also allowed online attendance. Three months into the project the time was right for a first in-person check-in to discuss results and strategize about next steps. Organizational questions were addressed in the management board meeting, and the groundwork to make TruePA a success was discussed. The consortium’s advisory board was represented by its two experts from industry, Dr. J. Braumüller (Infineon AG) and Dr. D. de Jong (Qblox B.V.) who gave an overview over their respective activities. Throughout the project the advisory board will provide an outside perspective to guide the activities in TruePA.

Coordinator Prof Anja Metelmann from KIT commented after the meeting: “It was great to finally meet in person and get the project started. Even though it’s only the 3rd month of the project, we could already discuss scientific results and I am excited to see what we will be able to achieve over the next years.”