Light-induced microwave noise in superconducting microwave-optical transducers

Abstract

Microwave-to-optical transduction is expected to play a pivotal role in scaling up superconducting quantum processors and facilitating their long-distance communication via optical fiber, but a notable hurdle here is light-induced microwave noise. This study investigates the mechanisms that create such noise in a thin-film LiNbO${}_{3}$ device. Three distinct noise sources, with unique time constants spanning orders of magnitude, are identified. The authors also investigate the power dependence of each noise component, and offer potential strategies for mitigation. The insights gained from this work provide important design guidelines for efficient, low-noise transduction.

Topics & Concepts