NIST and CU Boulder researchers have achieved a significant breakthrough in quantum-based radio frequency (RF) signal synthesis, demonstrating a new RF Josephson arbitrary waveform synthesizer (RF-JAWS) that generates microwave-frequency waveforms with unprecedented accuracy and power.
The team developed a superconducting integrated circuit cooled to 4K that contains an array of 4,500 Josephson junctions. By incorporating on-chip superconducting diplexers, they were able to achieve an open-circuit signal of 22 mV rms at 1.005 GHz – a 25% increase over the previous state-of-the-art.
This new quantum-based RF voltage source has the potential to revolutionize high-accuracy RF measurements for modern communications components and instruments. By providing self-calibrated, automated measurement capability, it could eliminate costs and overhead in calibration and traceability chain measurements for communication and instrument manufacturers.
The researchers’ next steps will focus on further optimizing the system and exploring its applications in various RF measurement scenarios.
Keywords: Quantum-based, Superconducting, Microwave, Josephson, Calibration
